CNN reported Tuesday that in recent weeks United States authorities received intelligence from a human source indicating there was an Iranian plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump. According to multiple sources who briefed CNN, this intel led the Secret Service to increase security around Trump in the last several weeks.
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At this time, there is no established link between the Iranian plot and the attempted assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at Trump from a rooftop Saturday at a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, per the sources.
It is unknown if the intelligence regarding the Iranian assassination plot was shared with the Trump campaign. In a statement, the Trump team said:
We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to The United States Secret Service.
A recent statement from Secret Service spokespersonAnthony Guglielmi seems to corroborate an increased security detail.
On Sunday, Gugielmi said:
(The Secret Service) recently “added protective resources and capabilities to the former President’s security detail.”
According to sources that spoke to CNN, Secret Service officials have repeatedly cautioned the Trump campaign against hosting outdoor rallies, citing higher risks compared to events with controlled access. The warnings, described as general in nature, were conveyed to campaign officials. At one point during this election cycle, the campaign ceased holding impromptu off-the-record events where guests were not screened by the Secret Service, citing security concerns.
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The Iranian government has vowed to avenge the killing of Qasem Soleimani, the Islamic Revolutionary Garud Corps commander taken out by the U.S. military under Trump in January 2020.
Former Trump administration officials who worked in national security have had tight security since leaving office, and several cabinet officials have been targeted with assassination plots.
In 2022, the Department of Justice filed criminal charges against an IRGC member in connection with a plan to assassinate John Bolton, who previously served as a national security advisor under the Trump administration. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was also a target of this plot, according to sources in federal law enforcement and a member of Pompeo’s circle. The DOJ said the plot was retaliatory in nature due to Soleimani’s death.
Sources indicate that while the threat of Iranian plots to assassinate Trump and his former national security cabinet members has been ongoing, there was an uptick in concern based on recent intelligence. Information and warnings about operational planning, coupled with a surge of online messaging about Trump from Iranian and state-sponsored accounts, contributed to the heightened concerns.
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In light of this reporting, more questions arise regarding the security lapses and failures that led to the former president and newly-minted GOP nominee for president nearly losing his life on Saturday. The Secret Service, Homeland Security, and other agencies have much to answer to for the American people, as Congressional investigations into the events of July 13 are anticipated.
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