Even after two assassination attempts, the risks to former President Donald Trump’s life are getting higher.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Tuesday gave Trump a briefing about “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States,” campaign spokesman Steve Cheung said in a statement, according to NBC News.
And Trump, in his own statement, remains defiant.
In a post published to the social media platform X early Wednesday, Trump declared that “the entire U.S. Military is watching and waiting,” and praised Congress for passing bills in both Houses that would guarantee him the same level of Secret Service security as President Joe Biden.
Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire U.S. Military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again. Not a good situation for anyone. I am surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than I have ever seen before. Thank you…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2024
“Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire U.S. Military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again. Not a good situation for anyone,” he wrote. “I am surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than I have ever seen before.
“Thank you to Congress for unanimously approving far more money to Secret Service – Zero ‘NO’ Votes, strictly bipartisan. Nice to see Republicans and Democrats get together on something. An attack on a former President is a Death Wish for the attacker!”
The House on Friday passed the bill upping Trump’s security by a vote of 405-0, according to The Associated Press.
Do you trust the Secret Service to keep Trump safe?
The Senate unanimously approved a companion bill on Tuesday, according to CNN. The measure now awaits Biden’s signature to become law.
Iran has already been officially linked to at least one plot to assassinate Trump with the arrest of a Pakistani man in July suspected of trying to recruit hit teams in the U.S. to kill Trump and other officials.
Iranian computer hackers have also targeted the Trump campaign, offering stolen information over the summer to the Biden presidential campaign before Biden withdrew from his re-election bid, according to CNN.
In addition to Trump’s hard line against Tehran while he was in office, and his unstinting support for Israel, the Iranians are still seeking revenge for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in January 2020 in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq.
The development comes after two known assassination attempts on Trump in recent months.
One in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 came within a hair’s breadth of succeeding. The gunman was killed at the scene.
The other, on Sept. 15 at the Trump International Golf Course near West Palm Beach, Florida, was foiled by the Secret Service. The would-be assassin is in custody.
According to NBC, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence confirmed that there was a briefing with Trump but did not release details.
Cheung’s statement acknowledged that the risk to Trump is “heightened.”
“Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference,” his statement said.
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