Gabriel Sherman at Vanity Fair:
According to one source with direct knowledge of the events, North Carolina senator Thom Tillis told people that the FBI warned him about “credible death threats” when he was considering voting against Pete Hegseth’s nomination for defense secretary. Tillis ultimately provided the crucial 50th vote to confirm the former Fox & Friends host to lead the Pentagon. According to the source, Tillis has said that if people want to understand Trump, they should read the 2006 book Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work. (When asked for comment for this story, a spokesperson for Tillis said it was false that the senator had recommended the book in that capacity. The FBI said it had no comment.)
The number of United States Capitol Police (USCP) threat assessment cases has climbed for the second year in a row. In 2024, the USCP’s Threat Assessment Section (TAS) investigated 9,474 concerning statements and direct threats against the Members of Congress, including their families and staff. The number of concerning statements and direct threats usually increases during election years.
Here are the TAS case numbers for the last five years:
- 8,008 in 2023
- 7,501 in 2022
- 9,625 in 2021
- 8,613 in 2020
- 6,955 in 2019
- 5,206 in 2018
- 3,939 in 2017