The shooting at Donald Trump's rally last weekend rocked the nation. However, the U.S. uncovered a potential plot to assassinate Trump weeks before. Officials believe that Iran was going to attempt to assassinate the former president as revenge.
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However, according to officials, the shooting at the rally is unrelated to these plots. They have found no evidence connecting shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks to Iran. "As we have said many times, we have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the last administration," said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
"These threats arise from Iran's desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority," Watson continued. In 2020, Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, the leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force.
"At this time, law enforcement has reported that their investigation has not identified ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic," Watson stressed.
Trump Assassination Plot
A spokesperson for the Secret Service commented on the threat. He refused to to acknowledge this plot, but he said the organization takes their responsibilities seriously.
"The Secret Service and other agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed," agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told CNN Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Trump's campaign declined to comment as well. "We do not comment on President Trump's security detail. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service," the campaign said in a statement to CNN.
As far as Iran goes, the country has denied any potential assassination plots. The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran shared this statement.
"These accusations are unsubstantiated and malicious. From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani," a spokesperson for the mission claimed to CNN. "Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice."
