NatSec Daily wanted to know: Why was Sullivan issuing the administration’s first strong statement against the Friday attack? Was it a not-so-subtle message that a foreign government, possibly Iran, played a role in orchestrating it?

A National Security Council spokesperson wouldn’t elaborate when reached Saturday morning: “We’ll let the statement speak for itself.” Moments later, a senior U.S. official texted to say that NatSec Daily was overthinking it. “This is an event of international dimension,” the person asserted. Rushdie is “an international personality and the attack resonated for all kinds of reasons.”

OK, your host thought to himself, it’s back to watching the Premier League and enjoying the first D.C. weekend that wasn’t over 90 degrees. The plan was in motion until Vice World News’ MITCHELL PROTHERO reported Sunday that the accused assailant “had been in direct contact with members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on social media,” citing unnamed European and Middle Eastern intelligence officials.

Experts signaled that such contact was unlikely coincidental. “100 percent, of course Iran is behind it,” said VICTORIA COATES, who was the top Middle East official in the Trump administration’s National Security Council.