Former President Trump was briefed Tuesday about "real and specific" Iranian threats to assassinate him.

"President Trump was briefed earlier today by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence regarding real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States," spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement.

“Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference."

As you probably remember, there was a threat connected to Iran which made news around the time of the Butler, PA rally where Trump was shot.

A threat on Donald Trump’s life from Iran prompted additional security in the days before Saturday’s campaign rally, but it was unrelated to the assassination attempt on the Republican presidential nominee, two U.S. officials said Tuesday, as law enforcement warned of the potential for more violence inspired by the shooting...

“These threats arise from Iran’s desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority,” [NSC spokesperson Adrienne] Watson said.

Between the threats from Iran and the ones by people like Ryan Routh, who was just charged with his assassination plot, the Trump campaign is increasingly wondering how it can effectively campaign without putting its candidate at risk.

Among the discussions are what events can be secured, as well as the possibility that he might travel less on his own Trump-branded plane, according to two of the people briefed on the discussions...

On at least one campaign stop, a drone was spotted flying over Mr. Trump’s motorcade. The Secret Service scrambled the motorcade cars in different directions to create confusion about which car Mr. Trump was riding in, according to two people briefed on the discussions. And a planned visit to a Polish shrine in Pennsylvania last Sunday was canceled partly for security reasons, three people briefed on the matter said.

Yesterday, Trump himself posted about the ongoing threats on Truth Social:

Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire U.S. Military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again. Not a good situation for anyone. I am surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than I have ever seen before. Thank you to Congress for unanimously approving far more money to Secret Service - Zero “NO” Votes, strictly bipartisan. Nice to see Republicans and Democrats get together on something. An attack on a former President is a Death Wish for the attacker!

Trump has reportedly been frustrated that the Biden White House hasn't done more to discourage the Iranians.

“If this was Kamala or another Democrat, we’d blow up Iran,” one of those people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, recalled Mr. Trump saying. “They won’t do anything because it’s me.”...

Mr. Trump made a version of that statement on Wednesday at an event in Mint Hill, N.C., suggesting that the current administration should warn foreign leaders threatening Mr. Trump that if they harm him, they’ll be blown “to smithereens.”

“And there would be no more threats,” Mr. Trump said, adding, “Right now we don’t have that leadership or the necessary leaders.” 

It's a fair point. Remember there was a Pakistani with ties to Iran who was just indicted for another assassination plot aimed at Trump. 

Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, was indicted yesterday with attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and murder-for-hire as part of a scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on U.S. soil. Law enforcement foiled the plot before any attack could be carried out. Merchant was previously arrested and charged by complaint in July 2024. Merchant was ordered detained and is currently in federal custody...

“This dangerous murder-for-hire plot was allegedly orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian regime's playbook,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.

The indictment is nice, but if we're pretty sure Iran is responsible, where is response to Iran? And of course the media is no help. This week the Washington Post took issue with the Trump campaign for daring to suggest that Iran wanted Kamala Harris to win the election:

Cheung then went further, claiming without evidence that Iran wanted Harris to win the election. “Make no mistake, the terror regime in Iran loves the weakness of Kamala Harris, and is terrified of the strength and resolve of President Trump,” Cheung said...

Other Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), have also accused Iran of favoring Harris.

But as National Review points out, if there are two candidates and Iran is trying to kill one of them, that would seem to indicate a clear preference in the race.

The bottom line is that the Trump campaign has little choice but to keep campaigning, even as more serious plots to assassinate Trump come to light. That's a burden no candidate should have to face. It shows some real courage on Trump's part to keep putting himself out there despite the real and specific threats, foreign and domestic, that keep circling around him.