New book reveals near-assassination of Pompeo at European hotel; intelligence warned of active Iranian operatives on US soil
by Melissa Hallman, The Daily Dots
Iran orchestrated multiple assassination attempts against President Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo throughout 2024, dramatically altering campaign security protocols, according to a forthcoming book “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America.”
Iran nearly succeeded in assassinating Pompeo at a European hotel in 2022, a previously undisclosed incident detailed in the book. In September 2024, intelligence officials briefed President Trump at Mar-a-Lago that Iran had multiple hit teams inside the country. Six weeks later, authorities allegedly arrested an “Iranian asset” tasked with surveilling and assassinating President Trump.
The Iranian assassination campaign stems from President Trump’s 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani. Iranian officials have publicly vowed revenge for Soleimani’s death.
The threats prompted extraordinary security changes on the campaign trail. Security officials effectively transformed Mar-a-Lago into an armed camp and persuaded President Trump to travel in a decoy plane owned by Steve Witkoff. Secret Service agents started flying decoy planes and driving down the runway behind President Trump as he took off as extra precautions in case someone were to shoot at the jet.
During one trip, campaign staff boarded President Trump’s plane expecting him to join them. Instead, campaign manager Chris LaCivita explained: “The boss isn’t flying with us today.” When a staffer asked “So we’re the bait?” LaCivita stressed the importance of making unexpected moves, saying “Right now, we’re too predictable.”
One time, an agent yelled at staff: “Get on the plane as fast as you can! Keep your head down!” The agents were worried about snipers and missiles.
The security concerns became omnipresent. When President Trump visited the southern border, local police searched the desert for a man who threatened him on social media. Authorities warned about poison and drones, telling President Trump to avoid touching phones during selfies in case adversaries used them for chemical weapons exposure.
Once, while leaving a rally on Long Island, Secret Service told campaign managers they were on alert for someone trying to shoot at the motorcade. LaCivita said “I wish I had my f—ing rifle. Give me my M4.” Campaign chief of staff Susie Wiles reclined her seat away from windows.
During a Pennsylvania farmers market trip, Wiles got a call saying an unknown drone was overhead, following them down country roads, and they couldn’t shake it. The drone continued following but never attacked.
President Trump reduced his tendency to do what he wanted regardless of safety risks, becoming more deferential to his security team. At a bitcoin conference, when someone breached security, President Trump waited over an hour for clearance, telling agents “I’m going to listen to my guys.”
President Trump had a chemical weapons detection device installed in his office. At Mar-a-Lago, a bomb-detecting robot roamed the lawn. Campaign staff brought guns to the office, and the Republican National Committee stationed armed guards outside LaCivita’s house after he received death threats.
By campaign’s end, President Trump felt the election was about survival, telling a Mar-a-Lago visitor: “I have to win. Stay alive and win.”
They knew this and STILL screwed up Butler and STILL screwed up the investigation on that …. And STILL let some jackass get close to him on the golf course and NO ONE is charged with jack??????? We need to get mad….really mad…so mad they’re afraid to NOT find the guilty…..