(LibertyInsider.org) – During his time in the White House, former President Donald Trump ordered a strike on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leader General Qassem Soleimani, resulting in the Iranian leader’s death in January 2020. Based on US authorities’ intelligence regarding an Iranian plot to kill Trump, obtained weeks before the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally, Homeland Security (DHS) and the Secret Service (USSS) increased security surrounding the then-presumptive GOP nominee.
Reportedly, a human source informed authorities of the danger in June, and intelligence operatives observed corroborating chatter in electronic communications. The risk concerned officials enough to escalate security around the former president. Both DHS and USSS personnel had expressed concerns to Trump’s team about holding outdoor events.
Secret Service increased Trump's protection after Iranian plot to assassinate him https://t.co/04YGcOKNH3
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) July 16, 2024
However, reports indicate no connection existed between the alleged Iranian plot and the attempted assassination made by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks at the Butler rally. In the aftermath of the attempt, USSS officials have faced wilting criticisms for failing to protect Trump. The new information, indicating that DHS and the USSS had surged resources to bolster the former president’s security, raised even more questions about how Crooks, armed with an AR-format rifle, gained access to a roof only 150 yards from the speaker platform.
A national security official who spoke anonymously said the USSS had apprised Trump’s campaign “of an evolving threat” in the weeks before the rally and had discouraged outdoor events because agents could not control access points to outdoor venues. According to reports, the campaign suspended impromptu events where agents could not sweep and clear guests beforehand because of threat concerns.
In January 2023, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi vowed revenge for Soleimani’s killing, and top Trump administration officials, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, continue to receive USSS protection details. In a statement, Iran’s diplomatic US mission called any accusations of the nation’s involvement in the plot “unsubstantiated and malicious.” It claimed Iran would pursue legal channels against Trump and his administration officials for the murder.
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