Trump complains 'bomb stuff' is slowing momentum for Republicans ahead of midterm elections

Twelve suspicious packages with explosive sent to prominent Democrats and CNN this week

Donald Trump has tweeted the "'Bomb' stuff" has slowed "momentum greatly" for Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections taking place less than two weeks away.

His tweet comes just hours after the 11th and 12th suspicious packages containing explosive devices were found this week, one near the offices of CNN addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and the other in south Florida, addressed to Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey.

Mr Trump wrote the news was "not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on" and then encouraged "Republicans, go out and vote!" in the 6 November election just minutes before federal authorities announced they have arrested a suspect in the investigation.

The president has been on a feverish pace of campaigning for Republican candidates across the country, even holding a "Make America Great Again" rally in Wisconsin the same day seven of the packages containing explosives were found.

The news comes after a string of packages containing explosives and one with “white powder” were found or intercepted, addressed to Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, former CIA Director John Brennan via CNN, House Democrat Maxine Waters, former US Attorney General Eric Holder, and former Vice President Joe Biden.

Mr Biden and Ms Waters both received two separate packages.

It began with a package containing an explosive device sent to billionaire George Soros, who has contributed millions of dollars to Democrats.

Though investigators have not confirmed it as being a connection to the packages, all of the intended recipients and the news network have been frequent targets and vocal critics of the president.

Critics have said Mr Trump's constant negative attacks on Ms Clinton, Mr Obama, Ms Waters, and CNN have contributed to the packages being sent, however his tweets appear to continue to blame the media for the attacks.

Mr Trump had said Wednesday after the first seven packages had been found that he considered them "egregious acts" of "domestic terrorism."

He promised the "full weight" of the federal government was being put behind the investigation to bring the perpetrator to justice.

However, later that day at a rally, Mr Trump joined in on the infamous "lock her up" chant regarding Ms Clinton. He has repeatedly called for her to be further investigated and jailed for a variety of matters, but mostly her use of a private email server for official emails while she was Secretary of State.

Just one day later the president tweeted: "A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News".

“It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!” he wrote.

Mr Trump tweeted again in the middle of the night: “Funny how lowly rated CNN, and others, can criticize me at will...yet when I criticize them they go wild and scream, “it’s just not Presidential!”

“To echo [Mr] Brennan’s comments...this is not going to silence the administration’s critics,” Mr Clapper told CNN this morning.

“I think anyone who has...publicly been a critic of President Trump needs to take precautions...but at the same time we can’t get too overwhelmed about it, too overwrought is the right word,” the former intelligence chief said.

He said he wished the president had “named” the targets of the bombs in his initial statement and skipped the political rally the president held that same evening in Wisconsin because he thinks Mr Trump “bears some responsibility” for the acts.

The investigation continues as a suspect has been arrested in Florida. The suspect has a criminal history with ties to New York.