Swatting—an increasingly dangerous and politically motivated tactic—is being weaponized against conservatives, and nationally syndicated talk show host Joe Pags is the latest victim. Swatting is the act of making a false emergency call, typically claiming a violent crime is in progress, to provoke an armed police response at an unsuspecting person’s home. These incidents have led to tragic outcomes, with victims facing heavily armed SWAT teams at their door, sometimes resulting in injury or even death.
At 2:35 AM on Wednesday March 12th, Pags was alerted by a security notification on his phone. Checking his outdoor camera, he saw a chilling sight—an armed man at his front door. In that moment, his adrenaline kicked in. Thinking quickly, he called 911, where the operator confirmed his fears—someone had made a fake report, triggering the heavy police response.
“They’re targeting anyone who’s a conservative,” Pags said, pointing to a growing trend of swatting attacks against right-leaning voices. He wasted no time taking action, reaching out to Kash Patel with a suggestion that the FBI investigate the rise of politically motivated swatting.
“The police are hip to what you’re doing,” Pags warned, calling out those responsible for the attack. He noted that law enforcement is catching on to these intimidation tactics, but that hasn’t stopped bad actors from continuing to use them against conservatives across the country.
“I could have died,” said Pags, reiterating the same concerns shared by his fellow conservatives. These comments come after a long stream of politically motivated swatting attempts on republican media figures, raising serious concerns about political weaponization and abuse of emergency response systems. While Pags and his family are safe, the message behind the attack is clear—conservatives speaking out are being targeted. The question remains: Will authorities take action before someone gets hurt?