Donald Trump said this week that he is ready to “blow your largest cities and the country itself [Iran] to smithereens” if it poses a threat to US presidential candidates. The statement comes after reports that Trump’s campaign staff had been briefed on alleged Iranian death threats against him.
Speaking at a campaign event in the state of North Carolina earlier this week, Trump declared that he would threaten Iran directly if he wins the presidential election later this fall, reports The Hill, among others.
– If I were the president, I would inform the threatening country — in this case, Iran — that if you do anything to harm this person, we are going to blow your largest cities and the country itself to smithereens. We are going to blow it to smithereens, Trump said before seemingly enthusiastic supporters.
His statement comes in the wake of both Republican and Democratic lawmakers unanimously passing a bill expanding Secret Service protection for presidential candidates. The bill, which passed the Senate on Tuesday, now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.
He also took the opportunity to sharply criticize the current US leadership. Trump said he would have taken “stronger action ” if he were president.
– But right now, we don’t have that leadership or the necessary people, the necessary leaders, Trump said, alluding to Joe Biden.
Trump repeats claim of Iranian assassination threat, stating, “If I were the president, I would inform the threatening country—in this case, Iran—that if you do anything to harm this person, we are going to blow your largest cities and the country itself to smithereens.” pic.twitter.com/bEtA9Vb5nq
— Fort Lauderdale Times (@ftltimes) September 25, 2024
Survived two assassination attempts
The former president and current presidential candidate has been the target of two attacks during his current campaign. In July, he miraculously survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
This week, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested and charged on suspicion of plotting to assassinate Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this month. Both perpetrators are US citizens.
– As you know, 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 said.
Trump’s campaign team announced earlier this week that the intelligence community had reported continued threats against the former president, with specific references to Iran’s alleged involvement.
In a post on the Truth Social media platform on Tuesday, Trump wrote that “moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again”.
Trump also criticized the security measures surrounding Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to the US.
– Meanwhile, 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 of the United States, Trump said.
The Iranian president attended the annual UN General Assembly in New York this week, and Trump’s sharp rhetoric should be seen in light of this meeting and the assassination plot against him.
