Ex-Proud Boys leader denies sending bomb threat targeting center-right event

• Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was implicated in a bomb threat on Sunday targeting the Principles First Summit, a center-right political event. Tarrio denied involvement, telling organizers to “Preserve your documents and prepare for legal action from me.”
• The author of the emailed threat listed a number of public figures –– including Mark Cuban, Chris Christie, George Conway and Bill Kristol –– who “all deserve to die” to “honor the J6 hostages recently released by Emperor Trump.”
• The bomb threat comes one day after Tarrio showed up at the event and confronted a group of police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

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Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was implicated in an emailed bomb threat Sunday, Feb. 23, though he denies involvement. The threat, which came from an account labeled “Enrique T.,” targeted the Principles First Summit, a political gathering that styles itself as the center-right answer to the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Tarrio had shown up at the event the day prior and confronted guest speakers, including a police officer who worked during the Jan. 6 riots and was being presented with a “profile in courage” award.  

Why was Tarrio connected to the threat?

An X account belonging to the organizers of Principles First shared a post stating, “We have received a credible bomb threat from an account claiming to be ‘Enrique T.’ ‘To honor the J6 hostages.’” The post goes on to read, “Hotel security, private security, and [Washington Metropolitan Police Department] have made the decision to evacuate Summit floor so that the area can be secured.”

The event was evacuated around 12:15 p.m. and restarted roughly two hours later.  

Tarrio responded to the post on his own X account, accusing Principles First of slander and telling organizers to “Preserve your documents and prepare for legal action from me.”

What were the contents of the threat?

Former CNN host Jim Acosta posted what he was told was the bomb threat email. In it, the author says they prepared four pipe bombs –– one of which was in their hotel room rigged to the door, another in the mailbox of the mother of Michael Fanone, and a third in the toilet of a bathroom in the hotel where the Principles First Summit was being held. The fourth pipe bomb was to be left in the mailbox of John Bolton, the national security advisor during President Donald Trump’s first administration. Bolton has since become an outspoken Trump critic and was booked as a guest speaker at the Principles First Summit.

Fanone, who got into an argument with Tarrio at the summit on Saturday, is a former officer with the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department who worked to defend the U.S. Capitol as it was overrun by Trump supporters on Jan. 6.

The email listed a number of other public figures who “all deserve to die.” It refers to the president as “Emperor Trump.” In closing, the author writes, “To my family: I simply did what needed to be done. MAGA”

Tarrio was sentenced in September 2023 to 22 years in prison for “seditious conspiracy and other charges related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.” However, he was pardoned by Trump, less than three years into this sentence.

The former Proud Boys leader was also arrested by Capitol Police Friday, Feb.. 21, the day before his confrontation with Fanone. In that case, he allegedly struck a woman’s arm as she was holding her phone and protesting an event that he was at.