The Secret Service revealed Tuesday that former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin from Saturday’s rally in Pennsylvania is not the only party seeking to end his life.
Intel gathered by U.S. sources weeks ago revealed Iran had crafted a plot to assassinate the president.
The Iranian plot and Saturday’s shooter — Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20 — do not appear to be connected, according to CNN.
CNN cites “multiple people briefed on the matter” as sources for the claim, without naming said sources.
“Secret Service learned of the increased threat from this threat stream,” one source told CNN. “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 Secret Service chose to increase Trump’s level of security in response to the intel weeks ago per the report, which raises even more questions as to how such serious security failures occurred Saturday.
Crooks was able to get multiple shots off despite local authorities and security personnel being warned of Crooks nearly 30 minutes in advance of the attack, which ended with the presidential candidate shot through the ear and one of the rally attendees dead.
Many have criticized the makeup of the Secret Service following the attack.
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Multiple videos of the incident show frantic women among the president’s personal protection detail.
A lengthy analysis from the City Journal notes that DEI and affirmative action standards within the Secret Service have lead to policies that prioritize the recruitment of women candidates.
The Secret Service Director, Kimberly Cheatle, previously told CBS News her goal was for the agency to have 30 percent female recruits by 2030.
The Secret Service now has two sets of physical fitness standards for recruits — one for men and one for women.
The standards for women recruits are lower.
“These biological facts should be obvious. Every nightclub owner knows that physicality matters. A bouncer who is six-foot-five, 200 pounds, will provide better security than a smaller woman. Part of it is signal—size and strength act as a deterrent—and part of it is substance,” the City Journal reported.
“When a fight breaks out, the nightclub owner learns quickly who is capable of maintaining order and who is not. If he makes the wrong hiring decision, he loses money. It is, in its own way, an honest business.”
“Why has the Secret Service lost sight of such a basic principle? Because large bureaucracies are insulated from consequences. Directors of large corporations and especially government agencies can afford to engage in vanity projects and pay the DEI tax.”
