Presidential Hopeful Nikki Haley One of the Latest Targets of Swatting

Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley is one of the latest targets of swatting, according to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

According to sheriff’s office spokesperson Amber Allen, officers were dispatched to Haley’s Kiawah Island home on two separate days — December 30, 2023, and January 1, 2024. The caller responsible for the police dispatch for the first incident falsely stated on the phone that he shot a woman and would maybe harm himself. The caller prompting the second incident claimed that a woman shot her daughter and would perhaps shoot herself as well, according to NBC News.

Haley, who remains on the campaign trail, was not home either of those days.

“Law enforcement officials said that both times, they met a caregiver for Haley’s parents, ages 87 and 90, at the home and confirmed the calls were hoaxes,” according to the outlet.

“False reports made to law enforcement are not only criminal, but they are also incredibly dangerous as well as a waste of taxpayer money and public resources,” Allen said in a statement on the subsequent incidents, explaining that the cases are “difficult to investigate because they are made from untraceable phone numbers.”

“Law enforcement, though, does track these incidents, and we work together with our state and federal partners to identify perpetrators when possible,” she added.

Haley is far from the first political figure to stand out as a target of swatting — the act of falsely reporting a crime, drawing police resources to the area reported. Both Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Brandon Williams (R-NY) stated that their homes were swatted on Christmas Day. Days later, Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) also found himself the target of swatting:

Shortly into the new year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and his wife, Texas State Sen. Angela Paxton (R), were the targets of swatting following a false report of a “life-threatening” situation at their McKinney home.

In January, emergency responders showed up at the White House after a prank caller claimed the residence was on fire.