Secret Service Heightens Security Amid New Threats
The US authorities recently received intelligence about an Iranian plot to assassinate former President Donald Trump, CNN reports. This prompted the Secret Service to increase security around the Republican presidential candidate.
The intelligence came just weeks before 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to kill Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally on July 13. Trump survived with an injury to his right ear, and the shooter was killed by a Secret Service agent. CNN reports that there is no indication Crooks was linked to the Iranian plot.
Iran denies allegations
Iran has dismissed the accusations as “unsubstantiated and malicious.” A spokesperson from Iran’s UN mission stated, “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.”
Details of the intelligence
The plot intelligence was provided by a human source. Despite this, the Trump campaign has refrained from commenting, directing all inquiries to the Secret Service.
President Joe Biden has called for national unity following the attempted assassination of Trump. He announced an independent security review to understand how such an attack occurred, urging the public to avoid making assumptions about the shooter’s motives or affiliations.