US authorities were warned about a potential assassination plot against former President Donald Trump by Iran weeks before the deadly shooting at Saturday’s rally — underscoring concerns about the level of protection that the presidential candidate was given, according to a report.
Although there is no known connection between Thomas Matthew Crooks and the Iranian republic — considered a rogue state by the US government — advance knowledge of such a threat appears wildly out of alignment with Trump’s level of protection at the Butler, Pa., rally.
The Trump campaign declined to address the outlet’s inquiry whether it was aware of the threat, but the Secret Service has “added protective resources and capabilities to the former President’s security detail,” agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
The Secret Service even went so far as to repeatedly warn the Trump campaign not to hold outdoor rallies, the sources said, due to the difficulties of controlling access.
One source told CNN that earlier in this year’s contest, the Trump campaign curbed spontaneous outdoor events where attendees weren’t first screened by the Secret Service.