that have forced evacuations of state capital buildings in multiple states. also, dozens of bomb threats to jewish institutions, particularly in california, nearly 100 in california alone, but also around the country. we are also seeing an epidemic of swatting calls to federal and state officials, these are 9-1-1 calls about nonexisting hostage situations or active shooter investigations. the calls are designed to provoke an armed police response to a targets home. nbc news reporting as of tonight that this includes the swatting of special counsel jack smith on christmas day, who is prosecuting the federal case against donald trump. the federal, the judge, also swatted at her own washington area home just last night. welcome to the kind of election year we are gonna have this year. why are we having this epidemic? what does it mean? what can be done about it? joining us now former justice department senior national security official, mary mccord. miss mccord, really glad you