On a day when several suspicious packages were sent to several Democratic leaders, including California Rep. Maxine Waters, the congresswoman said she isn’t fearful at all.
FBI officials said a package containing explosive materials addressed to Waters was found at a South Los Angeles mail facility Wednesday. Authorities did not detail the exact contents of the package but said they were similar to those sent to other political leaders, which consisted of plastic pipe containing shrapnel and a pyrotechnic material.
California Rep. Maxine Waters speaks onstage in July during the 2018 Essence Festival in New Orleans. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Essence)
Beginning Wednesday, authorities have been intercepting makeshift pipe bombs mailed in packages to high-profile Democratic figures, including former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former Vice President Joe Biden, as well as Waters. The California representative said she is not easily intimidated.
“I don’t know whether the bombs are real or not, but we should not crawl under the bed, close the doors, not go out, be afraid to go to rallies,” Waters told Blavity during an interview on Wednesday. “We have to keep to doing what we’re doing in order to make this country right; that’s what I intend to do, and as the young people say, ‘I ain’t scared.'”
Waters sounded off on how President Trump’s conduct in office has led to more violence and division among U.S. citizens.
“I think the president of United States should take responsibility for the kind of violence that we are seeing for the first time in different ways,” said Waters. “I think the president of the United States has been dog-whistling to his constituency, making them believe that their problems are caused by those people over there. And I think they are acting in a way that they think the president wants them to do and the way he wants them to act.” Waters is frequent target of insults from Trump at rallies and on Twitter.
The congresswoman went on to explain how the bomb threats targeting Democrats are just a scare tactic to stop them from “protesting for justice.”
“We must not be intimidated to the point that we stop advocating,” said Waters.
The Los Angeles Police Department tweeted Wednesday that they’re working closely with federal law enforcement to learn more details about the suspicious package sent to the representative in California. A second package addressed to Waters’ Washington office was intercepted at a Maryland mail facility.
