Trump assassination attempt: In a major development concerning the recent assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, it has now come to light that the Biden administration obtained intelligence in recent weeks about an Iranian plot to kill the Republican presidential candidate that prompted the Secret Service to boost protection around him, according to US officials. However, there is no evidence as of now that connects the shooter to the alleged plot.
CNN reported citing a US national security official that the Secret Service and the Trump campaign were made aware of the Iranian threat before Saturday's rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump narrowly avoided death as a bullet from a semi-automatic rifle grazed past his ear. However, all the evidence so far indicates that the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, acted alone.
"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 detail 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," the official told CNN.
The existence of the intelligence threat from a hostile foreign agency and the enhanced security of Trump raises additional questions about the security lapses at the campaign rally that allowed a gunman to come within 150 m of a former President and how the 20-year-old managed to access a nearby rooftop. The case is also mired in speculation over the inability of security personnel to deter the attack despite bystanders noticing and alerting authorities over a man going to a rooftop with a rifle.
How did Iran and Trump's campaign respond?
According to people familiar with the matter, US Secret Service officials have warned the Trump campaign repeatedly against holding outdoor rallies, which pose greater risks than events where it has better control access. "The Secret Service and other agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed," said USSS spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
However, the Trump campaign declined to disclose whether it was made aware of the Iran threat. “We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to The United States Secret Service,” the campaign said in a statement. A source told NBC News that the campaign was not made aware of any specific threats from an Iranian individual or group.
Meanwhile, Iran's mission to the UN dismissed the reports of an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump as "unsubstantiated and malicious". "Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice,” a spokesperson for the mission told CNN.
Relations between the US and Iran further strained when Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, who led the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Quds Force, in 2020. He reportedly later told friends that he was afraid Iran would try to assassinate him in revenge, according to The Guardian.
When asked about connections with Soleimani's killing, Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani asserted that Tehran would use legal and judicial procedures and frameworks at the domestic level and international level to "bring Solemani's assassination to justice". Iran has repeatedly vowed revenge for the killing of the military general. In August 2022, the US Justice Department announced criminal charges against a member of the IRGC for allegedly trying to orchestrate the assassination of John Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser.
'Shooter acted alone': US National Security Council
Meanwhile, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said that an investigation by law enforcement has not identified any ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also joined a tough investigation on the shooter, who was killed shortly after the assassination attempt.
The FBI on Sunday said it has not yet identified any underlying ideology or threatening writing or social media posts from Crooks, who graduated from high school two years ago and had no past criminal cases against him, according to public court records. Crooks used an AR-style rifle, which authorities said they believe was purchased by his father.
"As we have said many times, we have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the last administration... These threats arise from Iran’s desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority," Watson said.
As part of its response to the Iranian threats, the administration has “invested extraordinary resources in developing additional information about these threats, disrupting individuals involved in these threats, enhancing the protective arrangements of potential targets of these threats, engaging with foreign partners, and directly warning Iran,” Watson further informed.
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