Trump’s recent assassination attempt over the weekend at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania has shaken the world and not just the US. This comes as King Charles was recently evacuated from a public event after a small issue of concern, in light of what happened to Donald Trump.
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Meanwhile, the former president claimed in his statement after the incident that he was ‘supposed to be dead’ if it weren’t for a simple move. Amidst this, new reports have confirmed that US authorities obtained intelligence from a human source in recent weeks on a plot by Iran to try to assassinate Donald Trump.
Plot to assassinate Donald Trump uncovered
According to CNN, the development led to an increase in the secret service around the 78-year-old after the alleged plot by Iran to assassinate him came to light. The plot, uncovered by US intelligence agencies, appears to be a response to the 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani was a high-ranking official in Iran’s military and his death escalated tension between the two nations.
After the US Secret Service and the Trump campaign were notified of the Iranian threat, the Iranian mission at the United Nations called the report ‘unsubstantiated and malicious.’ They added that Trump was ‘a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law,’ reported BBC.
Intelligence sources told CBS, the BBC's US news partner, that the Secret Service increased Trump’s security in June in response to the Iranian threat. This included extra counter-assault and counter-sniper agents, drones and robotic dogs. A US national security official told CNN:
Secret Service learned of the increased threat from this threat stream. NSC directly contacted USSS at a senior level to be absolutely sure they continued to track the latest reporting.
USSS shared this information with the detailed lead, and the Trump campaign was made aware of an evolving threat. In response to the increased threat, Secret Service surged resources and assets for the protection of former President Trump. All of this was in advance of Saturday.
Trump and officials have received threats from Tehran since ordering the drone strike assassination of Soleimani in Iraq in 2020. Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the US Secret Service confirmed that the agency constantly received ‘new potential threat information’ and took ‘action to adjust resources, as needed.’
Was Trump’s recent attempted assassination related to Iran’s plot?
There is no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill the former president on Saturday, was connected to the plot. However, it has raised questions about how a 20-year-old managed to access a nearby rooftop to fire shots that injured the former president.
The director of the Secret Service revealed that local police were inside the building while Crooks was on its roof aiming at Trump 130m (430ft) away. Reportedly, three local police snipers were inside the building and they saw Crooks getting on the roof.
The state police, on the other hand, claimed that they were not responsible for the area containing the building. They further explained that ‘all resources’ requested by the Secret Service were provided to them including 30-40 troopers inside the perimeter.
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Sources Used
CNN: Secret Service ramped up security after intel of Iran plot to assassinate Trump; no known connection to shooting
BBC: Trump security boosted weeks ago over Iran plot to kill him
