A Friday Newsmax panel discussed the white powder sent to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, engaging in some wild speculation regarding the culprit.
The white powder was discovered in the office’s mailroom, amid D.A. Alvin Bragg’s investigation into former President Donald Trump over allegedly falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair she says they had. Trump has loudly complained about the investigation, including posting that he expected to be arrested Tuesday and calling on his base to protest to show support for him.
The former president has yet to be arrested, but as the week has drawn to a close, he’s turned up the temperature in his Truth Social posts, going so far as to claim that if he were to face criminal charges, it would be “catastrophic for our Country” and could lead to “death and destruction.”
The powder was eventually determined to not be dangerous, but it was sent in an envelope along with a message that said “Alvin: I’m gonna kill you!” according to a report by MSNBC. The envelope was postmarked in Orlando, Florida on March 21, and arrived at the DA’s office Friday, March 24.
As the panel discussed the mailed threat, Newsmax host Lidia Curanaj recalled her tenure as a “lowly production assistant” for CBS News anchor Dan Rather in 2001 when anthrax was sent to their mailroom. “So when you do hear that – powder in an envelope – you can’t help but wonder, my goodness, could this be some sort of deadly bioweapon, because there are a lot of crazy people out there.”
It was “really sad,” Curanaj continued, that Bragg’s investigation had become “so politicized.”
“We don’t want any violence,” she said. “This is just disgraceful. We’re Americans. Let the process play out at this point.”
Her co-panelists commented that it was still unknown who was behind the mailed threat, and Curanaj engaged in some speculation.
“It could be an agitator, it could even be a Democrat,” she said. “Honestly, it could be somebody from Bragg’s office, sending it to themselves, I’m sorry.”
One of her panelists said he wouldn’t be surprised if the perpetrator were a Democrat, because “Democrats run Hollywood, they know how to build scripts! They know how to plant things.”
He said that last part with a smile and added that he “didn’t want to create conspiracy,” as the other panelists laughed.
The fact the powder and threatening message were sent by U.S. mail meant that this was a federal crime, he noted.
