U.S. Received Intelligence Iran Plotting to Assassinate Trump, Reports CNN

U.S. intelligence received information in recent weeks indicating an Iran-backed plot to assassinate Donald Trump , which led to increased security around the former president. CNN reported that “there’s no indication that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill the former president on Saturday, was connected to the plot, the sources said.”

CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez broke down some of the known details on-air Tuesday, saying, “In recent weeks, the US government received intelligence from a human source that indicated that the Iranians were plotting to try to kill former President Donald Trump. Now, that led immediately to an increase in the protection for the former president. We heard over the weekend from the Secret Service that in recent weeks they had increased their protection for the former president.”

“And so the question was exactly why. We now know that this is the reason why it was specific intelligence that was deemed to be credible enough, and that’s the reason why they increased the protection for the former president. It’s very important to point out that there is nothing to indicate at this point, is part of this investigation of the events on Saturday that the shooter, the would-be assassin that, tried to assassinate the former president on Saturday. There’s no indication that had anything to do with this Iranian plot. It appears to be a coincidence, obviously, but it is one of those things that is raising new questions, I think, for the Secret Service and for everybody involved in the protection of Donald Trump, how it was that these events, took place as they did on Saturday,” Perez added, referring to just how close a gunman came to Trump over the weekend.

“How did someone, this 20-year-old person, get onto that roof, again, knowing that they had this intelligence, the Secret Service was aware of this intelligence, and they had taken obviously, some additional steps. But how did that person get on a roof and be able to fire off these shots, that almost killed, Donald Trump? Those are very, very big, important questions,” Perez added.

CNN’s online report noted that the Secret Service had repeatedly warned Trump against holding outdoor rallies, like the one in Pennsylvania over the weekend:

It’s not clear whether the specifics of the Iran threat were shared with the Trump campaign, which said in a statement: “We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to The United States Secret Service.”

The Secret Service recently “added protective resources and capabilities to the former President’s security detail,” agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement on Sunday.

Secret Service officials have warned the Trump campaign repeatedly against holding outdoor rallies, which pose greater risks than events to which the agency can better control access, people briefed on the matter said. The warnings have been more general in nature, the sources said.

This is a developing story and has been updated.