Trump Accuses Iran of Assassination Attempts Without Evidence, Reports Reuters

By James Oliphant

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that recent assassination attempts against him might be linked to Iran. He indicated that if he were president and a foreign nation threatened a U.S. presidential candidate, such an action could lead to severe consequences.

Trump’s comments came during a campaign event following a briefing from U.S. intelligence officials about “real and specific threats from Iran” related to his safety, as shared by his campaign.

Federal investigations are currently looking into two assassination attempts targeting Trump: one at his golf course in Florida in mid-September and another during a rally in Pennsylvania in July. So far, law enforcement has not publicly indicated any involvement by Iran or any foreign entity in these incidents.

“There have been two assassination attempts on my life that we know of, and they may or may not involve, but possibly do, Iran, but I don’t really know,” Trump mentioned during his appearance at a pipe-fittings plant in Mint Hill, North Carolina.

He added, “We’ve been threatened very directly by Iran, and I think you have to let them know … you do any attacks on former presidents or candidates for president, your country gets blown to smithereens.”

Trump also raised questions regarding the security arrangements for Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, who is attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York while being protected by U.S. law enforcement. He remarked, “We have the president of Iran in our country this week, we have large security forces guarding him, and yet they’re threatening our former president and the leading candidate to become the next president — certainly a strange set of circumstances.” Trump is set to face Democrat Kamala Harris, the current vice president, in the upcoming presidential election on November 5.

Trump’s campaign announced that he would return to Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of the previous attempt on his life, for a rally on October 5. His visit to North Carolina marked his second trip to the state within a week, as current polls indicate a competitive race there. Harris held rallies in two cities in North Carolina earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Republicans in the state are grappling with controversial comments made by their candidate for governor, Mark Robinson, who is a prominent ally of Trump. Robinson allegedly referred to himself as a "Black NAZI" in anonymous posts on a pornography website and suggested reviving slavery. He has denied these allegations and announced his intent to continue his gubernatorial campaign, raising concerns among some Republicans about his impact on Trump’s prospects in the pivotal state.

In his Wednesday remarks, Trump claimed that the FBI has been unable to access six phones seized from the individual charged with attempting to assassinate him at his Florida golf course, Ryan Routh, 58. Routh was charged with attempted assassination of a political candidate. Trump’s assertion could not be independently verified, and an FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the ongoing investigation. The FBI has previously stated that they managed to extract some location data from at least two of Routh’s phones, and Trump called on Apple to assist the agency.

Last week, U.S. government agencies reported that Iranian hackers sent emails containing stolen information from Trump’s campaign to individuals involved in President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, part of an alleged broader effort by Iran to influence the U.S. electoral process. Iran has denied the U.S. claims of meddling and did not respond to inquiries from the media.

In his comments, Trump suggested that the United States’ adversaries are “desperate” to prevent his return to the presidency, claiming he would restore the nation’s global standing. "This is why people in countries want to kill me. They’re not happy with me," Trump remarked. "It’s a risky business. This is why they want to kill me. They only kill consequential presidents."