US bomb threats: At least six suspicious packages sent to Obamas, Clintons and news media organisations across America

Donald Trump says acts were 'domestic terrorism'

Alarm goes off in CNN newsroom while on air as Time Warner Center evacuated

Donald Trump has called the several packages containing explosive devices or suspected of containing them, acts of "domestic terrorism".

Mr Trump, addressing the situation at the White House, said it was "egregious" and said the American people need "to unify, we have to come together".

Suspected explosive devices have been sent to both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and packages suspected of containing such devices were sent to former US Attorney General Eric Holder, former CIA Director John Brennan, and US House Democrat Maxine Waters. The series of incidents come just two days after a bomb was sent to the home of billionaire George Soros.

The packages to the Clintons, Obamas, and Ms Waters were intercepted before reaching any of them.

Another package containing a “live” explosive device and “white powder” was sent to the mailroom of CNN at their offices in the Time Warner Building in Manhattan, just a few steps away from a Trump International Hotel.

House Democrat and former chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida was listed as the sender/return address on the packages to the Clintons, Obamas, and Mr Brennan.

Her name, as well as Mr Brennan’s, was misspelled on the CNN package. Mr Brennan does not work for the network, but frequently appears on MSNBC.

An additional package was also sent to the Manhattan office of Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, but it was deemed as “safe” by the New York Police Department and contained a USB drive of “literature”.

Yet another package was labelled as “suspicious” in the building housing a district office of Democratic Senator Kamala Harris and the San Diego Union Tribune newspaper in San Diego, California. It was also deemed safe by police and was not addressed to the senator.

Follow the news updates as they happened

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Key Points

• Offices of Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Senator Kamala Harris evacuated
• CNN offices evacuated over reports of 'pipe bomb'
• Secret Service find suspicious package outside home of Barack Obama
• Suspected 'bomb' found at New York home of Bill and Hillary Clinton

[24 October 2018 19:30 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

"We have to unify, we have to come together," the president said, though his divisive rhetoric on the campaign trail and in the White House may have contributed to political animosity according to several critics. 

The president said the country has to send "one clear, strong, unmistakable message" that "these acts of have no place in the United States of America...it's a very bipartisan statement". 

Mr Trump called it "egregious conduct" and the White House was "extremely angry, upset, and unhappy". 

"We will get to the bottom of it". 

[24 October 2018 19:34 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Mr Trump did not directly address his numerous verbal attacks on CNN, repeatedly calling the network "fake news" over the past few years, nor his previous negative comments about the Clintons, Obamas, Mr Brennan, and Ms Waters.

Just two days ago the president sent this tweet: 

[24 October 2018 20:12 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Mr Cuomo's spokesperson has confirmed the suspicious package sent to the New York Governor's Manhattan office was not an explosive device but did contain information on the Proud Boys, a group self-described as "western chauvinists" and designated as a "hate group" by some. Read more about the group here. 

[24 October 2018 20:37 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

The Time Warner building has reopened per the NYPD.

CNN President Jeff Zucker said in a company-wide email: "NYPD has concluded its security sweep, and it is now safe to return to the building". 

Staffers have been camping out and reporting from the streets surrounding the building since approximately 10:30am. 

[24 October 2018 20:47 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

In addition to the president's tweet from a few days ago hitting out once again at CNN a fundraising email was sent out after the attack today criticising the network for its coverage of a recent "Make America Great Again" political rally in Florida.

The email, which has his daughter-in-law Lara Trump's name on it, said "it's time for us to give the media another wake up call from the American people". 

Mr Trump's 2020 campaign chairman Brad Parscale said it was a "pre-programmed, automated message that was not caught before the news broke. We apologize for this. We in no way condone violence against anyone who works for CNN, or anyone else." 

[24 October 2018 20:52 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

House Democrat Maxine Waters has issued a short statement regarding the package sent to her: "I have been informed by U.S. Capitol Police that my Washington, DC office was the target of a suspicious package that has been referred to the FBI".

[24 October 2018 21:01 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

CNN President Jeff Zucker has issued a statement regarding the incident and the president's response, which was considered tepid by many critics. 

He said the White House has "no comprehension" of the seriousness of attacks on the free press. 

[24 October 2018 21:16 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Here's our report from just outside of the Time Warner building earlier today. Police have cleared the building for entry and the federal investigation continues. 

[24 October 2018 21:28 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican who announced he would not run for re-election in a dramatic speech on the floor of the Senate which took Mr Trump to task, has also responded, specifically to the attack on CNN. 

Mr Flake said "What the President says matters and if he were to take a more civil tone, it would make a difference". 

He told CNN Mr Trump "shouldn't refer to the press as the 'enemy of the people.' We all need to watch the rhetoric that we use."

[24 October 2018 21:32 · Mythili Sampathkumar]

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Erstwhile Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said, poignantly, on Twitter: "hate acts follow hate speech". 

The former Massachusetts Governor and current US Senate candidate in Utah has been a frequent critic of Mr Trump since the real estate mogul was running for president.