NC GOP(HILLSBOROUGH, N.C.) — The presidential nominees have responded to the GOP office attack in Hillsborough, North Carolina, that local political officials called “political terrorism.”
A firebomb was suspected of damaging the interior of the Orange County Republican Party headquarters early Sunday, and an adjacent building was spray-painted with graffiti saying, “Nazi Republicans leave town or else.”
“Republican leaders here say that this is a hate crime,” Dallas Woodhouse, the executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party, said.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump blamed the attack on the “animals representing Hillary Clinton and Dems in North Carolina” in a tweet.
Animals representing Hillary Clinton and Dems in North Carolina just firebombed our office in Orange County because we are winning @NCGOP
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2016
He also tweeted that everyone from the office was safe, adding: “Now we have to win.”
Thank you Mr. @realDonaldTrump. We will not be silenced nor suppressed by this evil act. We will pray for those who seek to harm us.
— NCGOP (@NCGOP) October 16, 2016
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton condemned the attack as “horrific and unacceptable” in a tweet.
Thank you for your thoughts & prayers, Sec. @HillaryClinton.
— NCGOP (@NCGOP) October 16, 2016
Woodhouse said Sunday it was lucky that no one was at the office when the incident happened.
“It’s a total loss,” he said. “We’ve lost lists; we’ve lost. We’ve lost registration info, not necessarily forms, people, who they registered. We’ve lost the stuff that makes you know activism possible.”
Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are investigating.
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