U.S. officials received intelligence about a nefarious Iranian plan to assassinate former President Donald Trump just weeks before crazed gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at the GOP nominee during a rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend. This threat led the Secret Service to boost its security cover around the 78-year-old, according to two U.S. officials.
However, even the additional security measures did not prevent Saturday's shooting, which does not appear to be linked to the rogue nation's plot. The elaborate assassination plot, first reported by CNN, raises further concerns about the Secret Service and its role and the major security failure that allowed the assassination attempt on Trump to happen.
Concerns Over Secret Service's Role
Crooks, 20, shot Trump in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday before being neutralized by the U.S. Secret Service. The updated information about increased security around the former president may raise additional questions, following Republican criticism regarding how the Secret Service missed detecting the potential assailant before he attacked at the rally.
The potential Iranian plot was communicated to the principal agent responsible for Trump's security and also to the Trump campaign, according to officials.
"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," said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
"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."
When Trump was president, he ordered the killing of Soleimani, the leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, in 2020.
"At this time, law enforcement has reported that their investigation has not identified ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic," Watson stressed.
Secret Service Alerted Trump Campaign
According to sources who spoke to CNN, the Secret Service has repeatedly advised the Trump campaign against organizing outdoor rallies following the threat, citing challenges in controlling access. These warnings, however, have been described as more general in nature by the sources.
One insider informed CNN that earlier in this year's campaign, the Trump campaign limited impromptu outdoor events unless attendees were screened beforehand by the Secret Service.
"The Secret Service and other agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed," agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told CNN on Tuesday,
Guglielmi chose not to discuss the particular threat but emphasized that the agency considers threats seriously and takes appropriate actions.
Federal law enforcement have also cautioned about possible imitative attacks or election-related reprisals following the attempt on Trump's life.
Additional Secret Service agents have been assigned to both Trump and President Biden's security details. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy also received Secret Service protection after the shooting.
The Trump campaign opted not to comment on the assassination plot.
