U.S. intelligence recently detected an Iranian plot against former President Donald Trump, and the information was shared with the Secret Service before Saturday’s event in Pennsylvania, two U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday.
The National Security Council said it has been tracking Iranian threats against the former president for years, though no ties have been identified between Saturday’s shooting and a foreign actor.
In response to the intelligence, the Secret Service said it is constantly receiving new information about potential threats, but wouldn’t comment on specific threats.
“The Secret Service and other agencies are constantly receiving new potential threat information and taking action to adjust resources, as needed,” Anthony Guglielmi, U.S. Secret Service Chief of Communication, said on Tuesday.
After learning of the increased threat from Iran, the NSC directly contacted the Secret Service at a senior level to make sure the agency continued to track the latest reporting, an official said. The Secret Service shared the information with Trump’s security detail, and the Trump campaign was made aware of an evolving threat.
In response, the Secret Service had increased resources and assets for the protection of Trump before Saturday, the official said.
“These threats arise from Iran’s desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani,” NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.
Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, a prominent Iranian military commander, in early 2020. The former president took a hardline approach to Iran during his administration and withdrew from the nuclear deal brokered with Iran under the Obama administration.
“We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority,” Watson said, adding, “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.”
A Trump campaign spokesperson declined to comment on the former president’s security detail.
—Nicole Sganga and Fin Gómez contributed reporting.
