CNN is reporting that the Trump campaign was informed about an Iranian assassination plot against former President Trump prior to Saturday’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
According to the report, the Secret Service heightened security measures after receiving intelligence about the threat.
However, the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had no connection to the Iranian plot, CNN clarified.
“Secret Service learned of the increased threat from this threat stream,” an official told CNN. “The National Security Council (NSC) directly contacted the US Secret Service (USSS) at a senior level to ensure they continued to track the latest reporting. The USSS shared this information with the detail lead, and the Trump campaign was made aware of an evolving threat. In response, the Secret Service surged resources and assets for the protection of former President Trump. All of this was in advance of Saturday.”
The Trump campaign declined to comment on the threat.
“We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service,” the Trump campaign told CNN.
CNN further reported:
US authorities recently obtained intelligence from a human source about a plot by Iran to assassinate Donald Trump. This development led to the Secret Service increasing security around the former president in recent weeks, multiple people briefed on the matter told CNN.
There’s no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill Trump on Saturday, was connected to the plot, according to the sources.
The existence of the threat from a hostile foreign intelligence agency and the enhanced security for Trump raises new questions about the security lapses at the Saturday rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a 20-year-old man managed to access a nearby rooftop and fire shots that injured the former president.
If the intelligence report is accurate, it suggests that the Secret Service did not adequately ramp up security for Saturday’s rally.