Secret Service Intercepts 'Potential Explosive Devices' in Mail to Obama

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton at Democratic Convention

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“Potential explosive devices” were intercepted in the mail of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the Secret Service said in a statement on Wednesday.

Here is the Secret Service’s full statement:

The U.S. Secret Service has intercepted two suspicious packages addressed to Secret Service protectees. Late on October 23, 2018, the Secret Service recovered a single package addressed to Former First Lady Hillary Clinton in Westchester County, New York. Early this morning, October 24, 2018, a second package addressed to the residence of Former President Barack Obama was intercepted by Secret Service personnel in Washington, DC. The packages were immediately identified during routine mail screening procedures as potential explosive devices and were appropriately handled as such. Both packages were intercepted prior to being delivered to their intended location. The protectees did not receive the packages nor were they at risk of receiving them. The Secret Service has initiated a full scope criminal investigation that will leverage all available federal, state, and local resources to determine the source of the packages and identify those responsible.

The packages came just days after a similar item arrived at the Westchester County, New York, home of billionaire financier George Soros. None of the devices actually came close to their intended targets and Clinton, Obama and Soros were all unharmed, MSNBC reported Wednesday.

Also Read: Michael Moore Says He 'Loves' Obama: 'May Not Have a Better President in My Lifetime' (Video)

Later on Wednesday, Chelsea Clinton thanked the Secret Service for their work handling the situation.

Every day, I am grateful to the women and men of the United States Secret Service. Thank you.

– Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) October 24, 2018

All three figures have faced regular criticism from President Trump and Republicans. Though the president has never called for violence, his base has often pushed conspiracies that Soros or the Clintons were secretly funding a large caravan of migrants now moving through Mexico toward the United States

Also Read: Watch Obama Go in on Trump and GOP: 'What Happened?' (Video)

In a statement, the White House forcefully condemned the situation.

“These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that also called the perpetrators “cowards.”

9 Stars Who Couldn't Cut It as Murphy Brown's Secretary, From Hillary Clinton to JFK Jr (Photos)

"Murphy Brown" has returned to television on CBS for 13 episodes, with the new season premiere airing to modest ratings on Thursday. While a lot has changed in media since Candice Bergen's Brown hosted the fictional news broadcast "FYI," one thing that hasn't changed is how hard it is to find good help. One of the show's longest recurring gags was how nearly every week Brown had a wacky and incompetent new secretary, everyone from a man with a Hitler mustache to a pleasant looking woman who worshiped Satan. More than 90 people sat in that assistant's chair over the show's 10 seasons, including some celebrity cameos, but not one of them lasted.
Paul Reubens

Pee-Wee Herman himself helped out Murphy Brown, appearing in six episodes of the show as Stan Lansing's nephew.
CBS
Marcia Wallace

Before Marcia Wallace was Edna Krabappel on "The Simpsons," Wallace had a part on "The Bob Newhart Show" as Bob Hartley's dynamo of a receptionist Carol Bondurant. During a special crossover episode of "Murphy Brown," Carol proved to be Brown's best secretary ever, a real keeper. But at the end of the episode, Bob rushes into the office and begs for Carol to come back and work for him, despite Brown's pleading.
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John Kennedy Jr.

You can hear the women in the live audience swooning when it's revealed that John John is Brown's latest secretary. "I guess the lawyer thing didn't work out," Brown jokes. He wasn't there to work, but to drop off a "wedding present" that was just a fake cover of the magazine he edited, "George."
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Kramer

When Kramer (Michael Richards) heads out to Los Angeles on an episode of "Seinfeld," Jerry and Elaine spot him on an episode of "Murphy Brown" as another new secretary. His rapid-fire typing is hysterical, and the show even teases that she has "a good feeling" about him.
NBC
Sally Field

Murphy Brown would've been lucky to have fellow single-mother Norma Rae as her secretary, or better yet her "Absence of Malice" journalist Megan Carter, but instead she got Kathleen Dubek, secretary 91.
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Rosie O'Donnell

The final season of "Murphy Brown" featured a cavalcade of celebrity cameos, including Rosie O'Donnell as a particularly annoying singing secretary.
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Don Rickles

Rickles would've been in his 70s by the time he stepped into the secretary job during the show's final season.
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Bette Midler

In the show's stellar finale, Bette Midler took charge as secretary Caprice Feldman. "Caprice! With two Cs, interlocking like Chanel!" Her wealthy socialite type was always told by her (dead) husband that she could never hold down a job. Well, she picked one with quite the track record.
CBS
Hillary Clinton

At least the former First Lady has some experience as a "secretary," telling Murphy Brown in the revival's season premiere that she worked as one for four years in a "very large organization." Not only that, she boasted that she's "qualified, and I'm ready on day one." She even joked she has "some experience with emails."
CBS

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No matter how famous, no secretary lasted long on the CBS sitcom

"Murphy Brown" has returned to television on CBS for 13 episodes, with the new season premiere airing to modest ratings on Thursday. While a lot has changed in media since Candice Bergen's Brown hosted the fictional news broadcast "FYI," one thing that hasn't changed is how hard it is to find good help. One of the show's longest recurring gags was how nearly every week Brown had a wacky and incompetent new secretary, everyone from a man with a Hitler mustache to a pleasant looking woman who worshiped Satan. More than 90 people sat in that assistant's chair over the show's 10 seasons, including some celebrity cameos, but not one of them lasted.

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