The US Secret Service heightened security for former President Donald Trump weeks ago due to intelligence of an Iranian plot to kill him. This plot was unrelated to the recent shooting at a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire, injuring Trump and killing a rally attendee.
The National Security Council confirmed that they have been tracking Iranian threats against Trump administration officials for years, citing the 2020 killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani as a potential motive. While the investigation into the Pennsylvania shooting hasn’t revealed any ties to foreign or domestic accomplices, the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security have implemented additional security measures in recent weeks, according to the National Security Council.
The Secret Service confirmed that they constantly evaluate potential threats and adjust resources accordingly, while declining to comment on specific threat information. The incident has prompted an independent review of the Secret Service’s security protocols following questions about how Crooks was able to reach a rooftop vantage point to fire upon Trump.
