FBI Investigates Texts Sent Across US After the Election
The FBI is investigating widespread reports of racist text messages sent to Black Americans, including minors.
In a statement, the bureau confirmed it was aware of “the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country” and noted it was in coordination with the Justice Department and other federal agencies on the issue.
“As always, we encourage members of the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement authorities,” the FBI added.
The Associated Press reported that Black people in states such as Alabama, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee received the messages, including women and children. CNN also noted reports from South Carolina, New Jersey, and Maryland.
The AP also shared that the Federal Communications Commission and Ohio Attorney General’s office have started looking into the matter.
According to NBC News, dozens of Black Americans received the texts, which were sent shortly after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election against Vice President Kamala Harris. The messages reportedly contained racial slurs and references to slavery, cotton-picking, and farms. So far, the FBI has not released any information on who sent the texts or their origin.
This news coincided with congratulatory messages from several global leaders to President-elect Trump on Wednesday, following his historic victory over Vice President Harris.
“Dear Donald and Melania Trump, Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!” wrote Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X (formerly Twitter).
Netanyahu praised Trump’s return to office as a “huge victory,” calling it a “new beginning for America” and a “powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also conveyed his hopes for unity, anticipating Trump’s potential help in countering Russian aggression in Ukraine. Reflecting on his past meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy posted on X about their discussions on the “Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership” and the “Victory Plan” to end Russia’s invasion.
“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs,” Zelenskyy wrote, adding his optimism about working together to bring “just peace” to Ukraine. “We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States,” he added.
Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine’s commitment to maintaining “long-term peace and security” in Europe, expressing eagerness to see Trump again in person.
According to Fox News, additional world leaders, including El Salvador’s President, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also extended their congratulations to Trump.
Meanwhile, in China, official statements remained subdued. “We will continue to approach and handle China-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, as reported by Fortune. “We respect the choice of the American people,” she added.
After news broke of Trump’s victory over Harris on Tuesday night, U.S. stock markets soared, with Trump winning back crucial “blue wall” states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Dow futures surged over 1,000 points Wednesday morning, following Trump’s celebratory address in Florida, where he promised supporters he would “turn it around” and bring fast changes to the nation, according to Fox Business.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures also rose more than 1% early in the day.
Vice President-elect JD Vance highlighted the election’s economic implications, stating that the new administration would “lead the greatest economic comeback in American history under Donald Trump’s leadership.”