FBI investigating racist and homophobic text messages sent across U.S.A.

Racist text messages that initially targeted Black individuals across the United States of America shortly after Donald Trump secured a second presidential term have now also been directed towards Hispanic communities. Additionally, homophobic versions of these messages have targeted LGBTQ+ individuals, according to a statement from the FBI on Friday.

Authorities report they are investigating these messages, which now include emails, and note that no reports of violence in connection with the messages have been received.

Among the recipients are high school students who were informed they have been “selected for deportation or to report to a re-education camp,” as per the FBI’s statement.

According to ‘The Guardian’, following the U.S.A. presidential election on November 5, which saw Trump return to the White House, Black Americans reported receiving racist text messages instructing them that they were “selected” to pick cotton and needed to report to the “nearest plantation.”

These messages were reported by Black individuals in states such as Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Nevada, as well as in Washington D.C. and various other locations, affecting both adults and students alike.

Some messages were signed by “a Trump supporter.” However, Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, stated that the campaign “has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages.”

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) denounced the messages, describing them as indicative of a troubling rise in hateful and repugnant rhetoric from racist groups nationwide, who now feel empowered to disseminate hate and incite fear.

Derrick Johnson, the NAACP president and CEO, remarked last week that “the unfortunate reality of electing a president who historically has embraced, and at times encouraged hate, is unfolding before our eyes.”

The FBI confirmed ongoing communication with the U.S.A. Justice Department and other federal entities regarding the racist and homophobic messages.