Intelligence concerning an Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump reportedly prompted the Secret Service to increase security for the former president before a shooter tried to kill him at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
CNN cited a U.S. national security source who said the Trump campaign and the Secret Service were made aware of the threat, which officials have not linked to the 20-year-old gunman from Pennsylvania who shot Trump in the ear, killed one rally-goer, and injured two others.
“Secret Service learned of the increased threat from this threat stream,” the official told the cable news outlet, adding that the National Security Council “directly contacted the Secret Service “at a senior level to be absolutely sure they continued to track the latest reporting.”
The official added the Secret Service “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.”
Questions have been raised about how a shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, managed to get onto a nearby rooftop and begin opening fire from roughly 150 yards away with an AR-style rifle before the Secret Service shot and killed him. Multiple investigations are underway.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who is facing calls to resign from Republican lawmakers, told ABC News that her agency was responsible for the “inner perimeter” while local police helped with the “outer perimeter” — including the building on which the shooter was positioned.
The Washington Post noted that U.S. intelligence officials have long warned that Tehran might seek to avenge Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, after he was killed by a 2020 drone strike in Baghdad that was ordered by Trump.
But, according to the newspaper, an “unspecified threat” is what led the Biden administration to alert the Secret Service. The report cited a national security official who stated that the Secret Service “surged resources and assets for the protection of” the former president.
A spokesperson for the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations denied to CNN that Tehran is involved in any plot to kill Trump.
“These accusations are unsubstantiated and malicious,” the spokesperson said. “From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 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.”
Trump’s campaign declined to comment on the former president’s security detail and referred questions to the Secret Service.
“The Secret Service and other agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on Tuesday, per CNN.
He added, “We cannot comment on any specific threat stream, other than to say that the Secret Service takes threats seriously and responds accordingly.”
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