George Soros, Target of Hate Campaign, Found a Bomb in His Mailbox

On Monday, an explosive device was found in the mailbox of philanthropist George Soros’ New York home. An employee of the residence found the bomb and placed it in a wooded area before alerting the Bedford Police. It was detonated without harm and, after investigation by the FBI, the public was assured there was no need for further concern.

The FBI declined to comment more than confirming the device was explosive and the Soros Foundation has chosen to stay quiet on the matter as well, per The Independent.

Soros is an extremely wealthy man, as well as a Holocaust survivor. He was a child during World War II, and that’s shaped what he’s largely known for now: being a liberal philanthropist. Recently, his wealth has flowed into liberal movements in his home country of Hungary, per The Washington Post. There, current Prime Minister Viktor Orban has shifted the government from less liberal ideals towards more nationalistic ones. After coming into power, Orban was able to quickly pass a bill that hindered Soros’ funding of liberal institutions in Hungary, under the guise of putting a stop to illegal immigration.

Hungarian opponents shade Soros as a dark menace, funding causes to destabilize the government and overload the West with immigrants. Hate campaigns range from anti-semitic insults all the way to accusing him of being an undercover Nazi, despite the fact that he was a child at the time. Conspiracists can’t even agree on why they hate Soros, let alone find a reason that makes sense. Yet he’s the victim of death threats and even insults from President Trump.

The theories about Soros’ involvement in world politics are wide-ranging and ridiculous. During the Kavanaugh hearing, a group of protestors confronted Senator Jeff Flake in an elevator. They aimed to change Flake’s mind on voting to confirm the pro-life Supreme Court Justice. Trump, directly afterwards, tweeted that the women were paid protestors, funded by Soros. Some Republicans, such as Congressman Matt Gaetz, believe Soros is funding the migrant caravan on its way to the U.S., per The Independent. Just as with all the other conspiracies, it’s unfounded. The Washington Post points out that former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani retweeted a post that calls Soros the “antichrist.”

It’s the culmination of this hate campaign against George Soros that’s more than likely led to the apparent attempt on his life. Trump’s wild accusations, along with those of Soros’ Hungarian opponents, fuel the Republican party and its supporters. Just last week, Trump encouraged the assault of a reporter. This attack is just the most recent iteration of unfounded claims bringing potential harm to innocent people, especially those who oppose the president.