Former first lady <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/melania-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melania Trump</a> lit up the Federal Bureau of Investigation — in a video promo for her eponymous memoir due out in early October — saying that the raid on Mar-a-Lago should stand as a reminder to all Americans that their rights and liberties were worth protecting.
The video began with an image of the United States Constitution and the full text of the Fourth Amendment: &#8220;The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND">https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND</a> <a href="https://t.co/RxGQPFGZP3">pic.twitter.com/RxGQPFGZP3</a>
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1834937662207103146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The former first lady then appeared on the screen, saying, &#8220;I never imagined my privacy would be invaded by the government here in America. The FBI raided my home in Florida and searched through my personal belongings.”
&#8220;This is not just my story, it serves as a warning to all Americans, a reminder that our freedom and rights must be respected,&#8221; she said.
Melania Trump has released a series of videos promoting her memoir, due out on October 8, including one that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-to-this-story-melania-questions-silence-around-trump-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised questions</a> about what really happened on the day that her husband, former President Donald Trump, was shot at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Two others were injured that day, and firefighter Corey Comperatore was shot and killed while protecting the lives of his family — and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-even-secret-service-sen-josh-hawley-says-trump-rally-security-was-unprepared-and-inexperienced-dhs-personnel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">every indication</a> thus far is that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/apocalyptic-security-failure-dan-bongino-goes-off-on-secret-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United States Secret Service</a> is responsible for a number of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-blumenthal-public-to-be-shocked-by-secret-services-failure-to-protect-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">security failures</a> that day.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
&#8220;The attempt to end my husband’s life was a horrible, distressing experience,” <a href="https://x.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1833476085998063741" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Melania Trump, appearing on camera. “Now, the silence around it feels heavy. I can’t help but wonder why didn’t law enforcement officials arrest the shooter before the speech? There is definitely more to this story. And we need to uncover the truth.&#8221;
Another recent video focused on her relationship with her 18-year-old son, Barron, and all the joys and struggles that come with being a mother.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND">https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND</a> <a href="https://t.co/YojF8wESMp">pic.twitter.com/YojF8wESMp</a>
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/1834201664493891702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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2024 Republican National Convention: Day 4

‘A Warning To All Americans’: Melania Flames FBI Over Mar-A-Lago Raid

'A Warning To All Americans': Melania Flames FBI Over Mar-A-Lago Raid

classified documents

Donald Trump

General

Joe Biden

Mar-a-Lago

Melania Trump

U.S.

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley revealed over the weekend that the FBI held a meeting with her during the Republican Party presidential primary to warn her that the Islamic Republic of Iran was interfering in the election to damage her campaign.
Haley made the remarks during a Sunday interview with CBS News&#8217; Margaret Brennan on &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; while discussing foreign influence operations targeting U.S. elections.
&#8220;Look at what happened in [New York Governor Kathy] Hochul&#8217;s office with the Chinese influence and what was happening there,&#8221; Haley said. &#8220;Look at the murder-for-hire plot on U.S. soil, which I was named in, by Iran.&#8221;
&#8220;This has been going on for years. Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, to some extent, they have spent years on the cheapest form of warfare is, which is, how do you divide Americans and cause chaos,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They have done that. When I was running my presidential campaign, the FBI had a separate hearing with me to let me know that Iran was meddling in our – influencing the election through with our campaign.&#8221;
She said that the FBI told her that the Iranians were trying &#8220;hurt&#8221; her campaign or kill her.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZhyOQfEkxcMH_D1Ago3CQ">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
&#8220;Don&#8217;t just look at Russia. Don&#8217;t just look at China. Don&#8217;t just look at Iran. The biggest lesson we need to take is, when you look at social media, I bet you a larger percentage of those are foreign engagements,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And when I was in Taiwan, they would tell you they could look at Facebook. Any time Taiwan put something out, it was suppressed. Anything China put out, it was played up.&#8221;
&#8220;America needs to wake up when it comes to foreign actors,&#8221; she added.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NikkiHaley</a> says the FBI told her during her presidential campaign that Iran was meddling in the election to hurt her bid for the White House. She adds that she was later named in Iranian assassination plots, which also targeted President Biden and former President Donald Trump.… <a href="https://t.co/hoyKEdNnvX">pic.twitter.com/hoyKEdNnvX</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1832809195764093126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2024</a></blockquote>

The 2024 Republican National Convention

Nikki Haley: FBI Warned Iran Was Trying To Kill Me, ‘Hurt’ My Campaign

2024 Election

Iran

Nikki Haley

Republican Primary

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> took a virtual beating on Thursday for an X post highlighting Director Christopher Wray&#8217;s &#8220;warning&#8221; to foreign actors who might have designs on meddling in American elections: &#8220;Knock it off.&#8221;
With a display of force not seen since President Joe Biden told Iran, &#8220;don&#8217;t&#8221; enlist terrorist proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis to attack Israel — or since Vice President Kamala Harris warned migrants, &#8220;do not come&#8221; — Wray urged foreign adversaries to butt out and leave American elections alone.
&#8220;&#8216;Knock it off.&#8217; — Says FBI Director Christopher Wray to foreign adversaries meddling in American democracy,&#8221; the post read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Knock it off.&#8221; &#8211; Says FBI Director Christopher Wray to foreign adversaries meddling in American democracy. <a href="https://t.co/DbocEMxFbR">https://t.co/DbocEMxFbR</a><a href="https://t.co/mpSEnuDVlZ">https://t.co/mpSEnuDVlZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/L9gj4aTcnm">pic.twitter.com/L9gj4aTcnm</a>
— FBI (@FBI) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI/status/1831422641288159284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Critics made it clear that they fully expected Wray&#8217;s directive to be equally as effective as Harris&#8217; and Biden&#8217;s had been — which is to say, not in the least — and they took to X to mock the bureau.
&#8220;A fail-proof tactic,&#8221; Chuck Ross said of Wray&#8217;s strategy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A fail-proof tactic <a href="https://t.co/TlKEFzD3vy">https://t.co/TlKEFzD3vy</a> <a href="https://t.co/9zunvSBu1u">pic.twitter.com/9zunvSBu1u</a>
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckRossDC/status/1831499623367905671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Newsmax&#8217;s John Bachman added, &#8220;The @FBI employing same tactic to stop foreign election interference that my dad used to keep my feet off the back of his car seat.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> employing same tactic to stop foreign election interference that my dad used to keep my feet off the back of his car seat. <a href="https://t.co/O7OBhqRumQ">https://t.co/O7OBhqRumQ</a>
— John Bachman (@JohnFBachman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnFBachman/status/1831731430579196299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Did a 12 year-old from 1950 write this for Director Wray? Where are we as a country when something from the FBI is dumbed down to this level?&#8221; Jeff Clark asked.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724211156439000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-L2DitSaIUj5wz8v0bgxx">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Did a 12 year-old from 1950 write this for Director Wray?
Where are we as a country when something from the FBI is dumbed down to this level? <a href="https://t.co/3QrYq5A9C4">https://t.co/3QrYq5A9C4</a>
— Jeff Clark (@JeffClarkUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffClarkUS/status/1831676165183938575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Xi, Putin, and the Ayatollahs are laughing at this and asking &#8216;Or what?'&#8221; Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Xi, Putin, and the Ayatollahs are laughing at this and asking “Or what?” <a href="https://t.co/FuzMbGX8QV">https://t.co/FuzMbGX8QV</a>
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelgwaltz/status/1831716919247798749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;From the people who brought you &#8216;don’t,&#8217; I present to you the sequel &#8216;knock it off.&#8217; The trilogy will end with &#8216;don’t you even think about it, buddy!'&#8221; Ethan Fine predicted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
From the people who brought you “don’t”, I present to you the sequel “knock it off”. The trilogy will end with “don’t you even think about it, buddy!” <a href="https://t.co/rUhJkDmnw1">https://t.co/rUhJkDmnw1</a>
— Ethan Fine (@FineEthan) <a href="https://twitter.com/FineEthan/status/1831466436499296765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force meeting in Washington D.C.

FBI Debuts Bold New Strategy In Combatting Foreign Election Meddling: ‘Knock It Off’

FBI Debuts Bold New Strategy In Combatting Foreign Election Meddling: 'Knock It Off'

Elections

Hamas

Israel

Politics

Social Media

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> admitted on Wednesday night that they received tips last year about the suspect who shot up Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday, but said that they did not have probable cause to make an arrest.
Authorities arrested a 14-year-old male suspect after four were killed and nine others were wounded during the shooting.
The FBI&#8217;s Atlanta field office said in a statement that in May 2023, &#8220;the FBI&#8217;s National Threat Operations Center received several anonymous tips about online threats to commit a school shooting at an unidentified location and time.&#8221;
&#8220;The online threats contained photographs of guns,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Within 24 hours, the FBI determined the online post originated in Georgia and the FBI&#8217;s Atlanta Field Office referred the information to the Jackson County Sheriff&#8217;s Office for action.&#8221;
&#8220;The Jackson County Sheriffs&#8217; Office located a possible subject, a 13-year-old male, and interviewed him and his father,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;The father stated he had hunting guns in the house, but the subject did not have unsupervised access to them. The subject denied making the threats online. Jackson County alerted local schools for continued monitoring of the subject.&#8221;
The FBI said that there was &#8220;no probable cause for arrest&#8221; and that no additional law enforcement action could be taken by local, state, or federal authorities.
The FBI added in a follow-up to their statement: &#8220;To confirm, the subject referred to as the 13 year old is the same subject in custody related to today&#8217;s shootings at Apalachee High School.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
To confirm, the subject referred to as the 13 year old is the same subject in custody related to today&#8217;s shootings at Apalachee High School.
— FBI Atlanta (@FBIAtlanta) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIAtlanta/status/1831485435379364045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
The school received a threatening phone call earlier in the day warning that the school would be the first target in a string of shootings aimed at five different schools. State law enforcement officials said that there were no shootings at other schools.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said that school resource officers confronted the shooter, causing him to immediately surrender and be taken into custody.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-kemp-release-statements-following-tragic-shooting-at-georgia-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump, Kemp Release Statements Following Tragic Shooting At Georgia School</a>

Shooting At Apalachee High School In Winder, Georgia Leaves 4 Dead

FBI Received Tips About The Georgia High School Shooter Last Year

Crime

Georgia

School Shooting

The Tennessee Star on Tuesday <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/covenant-school-shooting/the-tennessee-star-releases-manifesto-left-by-transgender-covenant-school-killer-audrey-hale/tpappert/2024/09/03/">published</a> the nearly 100-page journal of the 28-year-old woman who killed three adults and three children at the Covenant Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee.
The journal offers a glimpse into the mind of a self-proclaimed autistic person prone to depression and obsession. The shooter&#8217;s two most animating obsessions were left-wing ideas about transgenderism — including the idea that children will kill themselves if they cannot get gender surgery — and white privilege.
The two themes converged in the overall format of the journal, which often takes the form of diary entries addressed to a “brown girl” with whom the shooter was in love. The shooter reportedly played basketball with the girl in eighth grade and had not remained in contact, but created a race-based idea of the girl in her mind.
The diary entries detailed how the shooter&#8217;s “autistic brain” struggled with different ideas, like &#8220;white privilege&#8221;:
<blockquote>
<div id="attachment_789817" style="width: 869px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-789817" class="size-large wp-image-789817" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.57.12%E2%80%AFAM-859x576.png" alt="" width="859" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.57.12%E2%80%AFAM-859x576.png 859w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.57.12%E2%80%AFAM-300x201.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.57.12%E2%80%AFAM-768x515.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.57.12%E2%80%AFAM-1536x1030.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.57.12%E2%80%AFAM.png 1900w" sizes="(max-width: 859px) 100vw, 859px" />(Tennessee Star)</div></blockquote>
On February 7, 2023, a month before the shooting, the shooter drew a diagram that said &#8220;brain -&gt; white privilege -&gt; embarrassment of self.&#8221;
The shooter wrote poems about her longing for interracial sex:
<div id="attachment_789823" style="width: 880px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-789823" class="size-large wp-image-789823" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.53.35%E2%80%AFAM-870x576.png" alt="" width="870" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.53.35%E2%80%AFAM-870x576.png 870w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.53.35%E2%80%AFAM-300x199.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.53.35%E2%80%AFAM-768x509.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.53.35%E2%80%AFAM-1536x1017.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.53.35%E2%80%AFAM.png 1918w" sizes="(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px" />(Tennessee Star)</div>
<div id="attachment_789825" style="width: 870px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-789825" class="size-large wp-image-789825" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.54.13%E2%80%AFAM-860x576.png" alt="" width="860" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.54.13%E2%80%AFAM-860x576.png 860w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.54.13%E2%80%AFAM-300x201.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.54.13%E2%80%AFAM-768x515.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.54.13%E2%80%AFAM-1536x1029.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-11.54.13%E2%80%AFAM.png 1922w" sizes="(max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px" />(Tennessee Star)</div>
Nothing in the nearly 100-page journal appears to justify the FBI&#8217;s claim that it was withholding it in the name of public safety. Nashville City Council member Courtney Johnson told The New York Post that the FBI said the manifesto couldn’t be released because it “was a blueprint on total destruction, and it was so, so detailed at the level of what she had planned… That document in the wrong person’s hands would be <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/20/audrey-hale-manifesto-blueprint-on-destruction-say-pols-who-claim-fbi-stalling-release/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">astronomically dangerous</a>.”
A police inventory says that there were two journals on the shooter&#8217;s desk, one under her desk, and seven under her bed, so it is possible that such information was in another journal. But this journal, which appears to be the most recent, does not include any detailed information about penetrating a school or carrying out a shooting.
Tennessee Star editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy filed a lawsuit under the Tennessee Public Records Act seeking release of the writings. Nashville judge I’Aesea Myles blocked the release of even a single page, saying the diaries were copyrighted. She also threatened Leahy with contempt of court.
Leahy said he obtained the diary through legal means outside of the Public Records Act, and published it because it was in the public interest to do so.
“These documents and photos have helped us inform the public about the underlying reasons for this heinous attack, and have helped drive the public discussion of what should be done to prevent such acts of violence in the future,&#8221; Leahy said. &#8220;We have documented a massive failure of the mental health system as a root cause of Hale’s reprehensible actions.&#8221;
The shooter wrote angrily about American politics, appearing to echo left-wing talking points about gender.
“&#8217;Land of the Free’ means, whatever f&#8212;er is taking away human rights is not of a human at all,” she wrote. “I wish death upon myself cause of the pure hatred of my female gender. With no rights, anyone’s country is a shitty dictatorship.”
She made a chart using the critical race theory buzzword of “deconstruction,” pairing it with “reconstruction&#8221;:
<blockquote>
<div id="attachment_789827" style="width: 891px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-789827" class="size-large wp-image-789827" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-12.07.08%E2%80%AFPM-881x576.png" alt="" width="881" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-12.07.08%E2%80%AFPM-881x576.png 881w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-12.07.08%E2%80%AFPM-300x196.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-12.07.08%E2%80%AFPM-768x502.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-12.07.08%E2%80%AFPM-1536x1004.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-03-at-12.07.08%E2%80%AFPM.png 1936w" sizes="(max-width: 881px) 100vw, 881px" />(Tennessee Star)</div></blockquote>
Autistic people are especially susceptible to adopting ideas that they are born in the wrong body. “Male brain -&gt; my autism?” the shooter wrote.
“Mom just says I’m young and young people make mistakes. but with me, it’s painfully more than that. with being autistic and waste time all the time,&#8221; the shooter writes.
&#8220;The torchure [sic] of being raised a girl, and actually believed I just had to deal with it, and tried to be feminine. But that didn’t last long after high school ended + no longer had to fear of being called a dyke or a faggot. It was only until my early 20s I finally found the answer-that changing one’s gender is possible. But oh f&#8212;ing no, not w/ my mother. What she believes, how she grew up conservatively and that LGBTQ-especially transgender in her era was an enigma, nearly non-existent,” she wrote.
The shooter also echoed the claim that children will commit suicide if their parents deny them the opportunity to change their gender.
“How could they not ever think of their own child suffering, and that they hate their gender so bad they cut + want to kill themselves first, and their preference of conservative religion-gay sh&#8211; makes them believe that their child they’re given should stay that way.&#8221;
Minutes before the shooting, the perpetrator messaged the person typically referred to as P.A.P. or &#8220;brown girl&#8221; in the journal, the woman —radio host Paige Patton — told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/friend-contacted-authorities-after-speaking-nashville-shooter-audrey/story?id=98182991" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a> after the incident.
“I’m planning to die today. This is not a joke. You will probably hear about me on the news after I die,” the message said. Patton called the police, who said they would send someone to review the screenshots.
Police did not arrive until after the shooting occurred.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/covenant-shooter-cited-transgender-rights-in-shooting-spree-manifesto-contradicting-official-claims">Covenant Shooter Cited Transgender ‘Rights’ In Shooting Spree Manifesto, Contradicting Official Claims</a>

The Covenant School

Covenant Shooter’s Entire Diary Published, Revealing Obsession With White Privilege, Transgenderism

Tennessee

Transgender

A senior FBI official said on Wednesday that the FBI has a &#8220;clear idea&#8221; of the mindset of the 20-year-old man who shot Donald Trump, but added that a motive for Thomas Matthew Crooks targeting the former president at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, remains unknown.
Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, said in a media call on Wednesday that Crooks searched online for both Trump and Joe Biden events but saw the Trump Butler rally as a &#8220;target of opportunity,&#8221; the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-assassination-attempt-919bc3a7bba02f6e340fed321b20dfdd?taid=66cf639df2c41200012f5c6e&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Scripps News national correspondent Elizabeth Landers <a href="https://x.com/ElizLanders/status/1828850450918994046" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the FBI&#8217;s media call revealed no new information about what ideology might have influenced Crooks, and the FBI said there is no evidence of a co-conspirator or foreign involvement.
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The FBI also released an image of the gun used by Crooks to fire at Trump.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fbi</a> has released some images on their website related to the assassination attempt against former President Trump &#8211; here is an image of the weapon that the shooter used. <a href="https://t.co/wLFUGuwgdc">pic.twitter.com/wLFUGuwgdc</a>
— Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElizLanders/status/1828851493748769226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During the media call, the FBI added that it had conducted nearly 1,000 interviews, served search warrants, and viewed hundreds of hours of video footage as it investigates the assassination attempt of a former president, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-update-trump-assassination-attempt/story?id=113218466&amp;cid=social_twitter_wnt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The Department of Justice still has not answered how the Secret Service did not stop Crooks from setting himself up on a roof just 130 yards away from Trump during the Butler rally. Crooks was killed by Secret Service counter-snipers after firing eight shots at Trump, one of which struck the former president&#8217;s right ear. The gunfire killed rallygoer Corey Comperatore, and attendees James Copenhaver and David Dutch were both shot and seriously injured.
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A SWAT counter-sniper who was at the Trump rally in Butler <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/counter-sniper-at-pa-rally-agrees-that-fbi-made-odd-moves-after-trump-assassination-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Tuesday that it was &#8220;odd&#8221; that the FBI cleaned the roof that Crooks climbed on to shoot at Trump, potentially destroying evidence. He also agreed that it was &#8220;odd&#8221; that Crooks&#8217; body was cremated before the coroner examined it.

FBI Says It Has ‘Clear Idea’ Of Trump Shooter’s Mindset, But No ‘Definitive Motive’

FBI Says It Has 'Clear Idea' Of Trump Shooter's Mindset, But No 'Definitive Motive' 

assassination

Thomas Matthew Crooks

A SWAT counter-sniper at the western Pennsylvania rally where a man attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump found it “odd” that the FBI cleaned the roof from which the shooter launched the attack so that evidence could have been lost, and also found it “odd” that the body of the would-be assassin was cremated before the coroner could examine it.
At a panel hosted by the Heritage Foundation, Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) asked Washington Regional SWAT counter-sniper Ben Shaffer, “&#8217;Do you find it odd that literally only days after the attempted assassination on President Donald J Trump, while the roof was too sloped to place individuals for counter-sniper operations, that it wasn&#8217;t too sloped of a roof for the FBI to go ahead and tamper, in my opinion, with evidence by washing the roof off that may have had significant evidence on it?” The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13782813/Trump-rally-counter-sniper-Ben-Shaffer-gives-damning-verdict-FBI-evidence-tampering-assassination-attempt.html">reported</a>.
“Yes, I do,” Shaffer replied.
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“Do you also find it odd&#8230; that the body of Matthew Crooks had not only been released and cremated, but the coroner who&#8217;s responsible for releasing the body had no knowledge of it?” Mills pressed.
“Yes, absolutely,” Shaffer answered.
The FBI <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/08/26/us-news/trump-rally-counter-sniper-backs-bombshell-evidence-tampering-claims-by-house-gopers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a statement</a> in which it said, “Any suggestion the FBI is interfering with congressional efforts to look into the attempted assassination which took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, is inaccurate and unfounded. The FBI has been working closely with our law enforcement partners to conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting, and we have followed normal procedures in the handling of the crime scene and evidence.”
“The FBI continues its painstaking work on the investigation to develop as complete a picture as possible of what led to the shooting, and we remain committed to maximum transparency as we continue to share information with Congress, which includes participating in open hearings and conducting multiple direct briefings and publish information for the public regarding the ongoing investigation,” the agency continued. “The crime scene was released to the property owners in phases as we completed our work at the AGR building, its surroundings, and at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Nothing was rushed and everything was documented as part of the investigation,” the statement added. “The FBI arranged for the cleaning of the location where the perpetrator died, which is in keeping with normal procedures. The shooter’s body was released to his family after coordination with the coroner’s office and our state and local law enforcement partners. This is also in keeping with normal procedures.”
In mid-August, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), who serves on the House task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt, issued a <a href="https://clayhiggins.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Preliminary-Investigative-Report-8.12.24.pdf">report</a> in which he stated:
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The FBI released the crime scene after just 3 days, much to everyone’s surprise. I interviewed several First Responders who expressed everything from surprise to dismay to suspicion regarding the fact that the FBI released the crime scene so early after J13. It should be noted that the FBI was fully aware of the fact that Congress would be investigating J13. The FBI does not exist in a vacuum. They had to know that releasing the J13 crime scene would injure the immediate observations of any following investigation. The FBI cleaned up biological evidence from the crime scene, which is unheard of. Cops don’t do that, ever.
</blockquote>
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He continued:
<blockquote>
My effort to examine Crooks’ body on Monday, August 5, caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact&#8230; the FBI released the body for cremation 10 days after J13. On J23, Crooks was gone. Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc. Yes, Butler County Coroner technically had legal authority over the body, but I spoke with the Coroner, and he would have never released Crooks’ body to the family for cremation or burial without specific permission from the FBI.
The coroner’s report and autopsy report are both “late.” As of Monday, August 5, they were a week late. The problem with me not being able to examine the actual body is that I won’t know 100% if the coroner’s report and the autopsy report are accurate. We will actually never know. Yes, we’ll get the reports and pictures, etc, but I will not ever be able to say with certainty that those reports and pictures are accurate according to my own examination of the body. Again, similar to releasing the crime scene and scrubbing crime scene biological evidence&#8230; this action by the FBI can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any following investigative effort. 
Please note, Mr. Chairman, that on J23, the day that Crooks was cremated, both the Homeland Security Committee and the Oversight Committee had begun House Committee jurisdictional investigation into J13, and Speaker Johnson had already stated that he was forming an Official Congressional investigative body. Why, then, by what measure, would the FBI release his body to the family for cremation? This pattern of investigative scorched earth by the FBI is quite troubling.
</blockquote>

Investigations Ensue As U.S. Reels After Trump Assassination Attempt

Counter-Sniper At PA Rally Agrees That FBI Made ‘Odd’ Moves After Trump Assassination Attempt

Butler

Pennsylvania

Lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee led by Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) announced Friday that they are investigating Minnesota Democratic governor and vice presidential candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tim-walz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Walz</a> over his “extensive” ties to entities linked to the Chinese Communist Party. 
In a <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Letter-to-Director-Wray-08162024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Comer requested that the agency produce documents on any communications or documents it may have pertaining to Walz’s academic and business ties to China. Walz&#8217;s connections to China have come under increasing scrutiny since Vice President Kamala Harris selected him to run alongside her. 
“It has come to the Committee’s attention that Governor Walz has longstanding connections to CCP-connected entities and officials that make him susceptible to the Party’s strategy of elite capture, which seeks to co-opt influential figures in elite political, cultural, and academic circles to influence the United States to the benefit of the communist regime and the detriment of Americans,” Comer wrote. 
Comer told Wray that “the Committee seeks information about the Chinese entities and officials Governor Walz has engaged and partnered with, as well as any warnings or advice the FBI may have given to Governor Walz about U.S. political figures being targeted by or recruited for CCP influence operations.&#8221;
The letter cited reporting that estimated Walz has visited China at least 30 times, stretching back to a trip he took with Alliance High School students back in the 1980s funded by the Chinese government. Additionally, Comer noted that Walz was a fellow at China’s Macao Polytechnic University while a member of Congress. The university says it promotes “devotion to and love for the motherland.”
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&#8220;Despite bipartisan efforts to identify and defeat CCP unrestricted warfare against America, Governor Walz continues problematic engagement with concerning entities and individuals,&#8221; Comer wrote. &#8220;In March 2024, he met with Consul General Zhao Jian to discuss &#8216;China-U.S. relations and sub-national cooperation.'&#8221;
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Comer asked that Wray provide the committee with any communication or document in the FBI’s possession regarding over a dozen entities potentially linked to Walz. The entities include China’s Ministry of Public Security, Macao Polytechnic University, the National Association for China’s Peaceful Unification, the U.S. China People’s Friendship Association, and the United States China Heartland Association.
Comer also asked Wray if the FBI had ever intervened to brief Walz on interactions with Chinese government officials or CCP-linked entities. 
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The Harris-Walz campaign has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/us/tim-walz-china.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> back on criticism from Republicans over his ties to China. 
“Throughout his career, Governor Walz has stood up to the CCP, fought for human rights and democracy, and always put American jobs and manufacturing first,” spokesman James Singer said. “Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will ensure we win the competition with China, and will always stand up for our values and interests in the face of China’s threats.”
Comer&#8217;s letter to Wray comes after Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/08/13/us-news/rep-jim-banks-probes-tim-walzs-obvious-security-risk-in-dozen-trips-to-china-while-serving-in-national-guard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressed</a> the Pentagon on Tuesday for answers on Walz&#8217;s National Guard experience and trips to China.

Kamala Harris And Tim Walz Hold Presidential Campaign Rally In Las Vegas

Lawmakers Launch Investigation Into Walz Over ‘Extensive’ Ties To Communist China

China

Christopher Wray

Congress

James Comer

Tim Walz

U.S. Politics

An intelligence officer with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-army" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Army</a> pled guilty on Tuesday to selling critical military documents to an individual in Hong Kong believed to be tied to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese</a> government. 
Korbein Schultz, 24, who was stationed at Fort Campbell along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, pled guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official, the Justice Department announced. He faces up to 65 years in prison upon his sentencing in January. 
“This defendant sold national defense information to a foreign actor and conspired to corrupt other members of our military,” said United States Attorney Henry Leventis. “In doing so, he violated his training and his oath as a member of the armed services and he compromised our national security.” 
Robert Well of the FBI said that the incident was a reminder that hostile governments like China are trying to steal U.S. military secrets. 
“Governments like China are aggressively targeting our military personnel and national security information and we will do everything in our power to ensure that information is safeguarded from hostile foreign governments,” he said. 
According to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1341561/dl?inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment</a>, Schultz’s illegal activity began in June 2022 and continued until his arrest in March. One of his most recent duties was listed as “Classified Document Custodian,” the indictment against him noted. 
Some of the information that Schultz sold included a document explaining how the U.S. would apply lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine war to Taiwan, Air Force documents about the HH-60 helicopter, American intelligence on the Chinese military, rocket defense systems, and U.S. military exercises with South Korea and the Philippines. 
Prosecutors previously said that he made around $42,000 from the transmission of the materials.
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Schultz could get 10 years in prison for conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information, 20 years for exporting defense data to China without a license, 20 years for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, and another 15 years for the bribery charge. 
&#8220;This Soldier swore an oath to faithfully discharge his duties, to include protecting national defense information. Not only did he fail in his sworn duty, but he placed personal gain above his duty to our country and disclosed information that could give an advantage to a foreign nation, putting his fellow Soldiers in jeopardy,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-army-intelligence-analyst-pleads-guilty-charges-conspiracy-obtain-and-disclose-national">said</a> Brigadier General Rhett Cox.
The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command conducted the investigation into Schultz.

CHINA-OLY-2016-CHN-FLAG

Army Intelligence Officer Pleads Guilty To Selling Defense Information To China

Department of Justice

Military

Taiwan

U.S. Army

The House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> began its work on Monday by requesting documents and briefings from top Justice Department and Homeland Security officials. 
Task force chair Mike Kelly (R-PA) and ranking member Jason Crow (D-CO) sent letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe demanding all documents related to the assassination attempt. They requested that the departments set up briefings with the task force by August 16 to coordinate the investigation. 
The letters, <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/investigations/trump-assassination-attempt-task-force-first-official-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained</a> by Punch Bowl News, request that the officials &#8220;produce documents and information directly to the Task Force from this point forward, including any documents and information that are in process in response to pending requests.&#8221;
The task force <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-votes-to-establish-task-force-on-trump-assassination-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was established</a> last month with seven Republicans and six Democrats. Several committees in both the House and Senate have already begun looking into the attack that left Trump and two of his supporters injured and one rally attendee dead. 
In addition to Kelly, other Republican lawmakers on the task force <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-reveals-members-of-task-force-to-investigate-trump-assassination-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and Reps. David Joyce (R-OH), Laurel Lee (R-FL), Michael Waltz (R-FL), Clay Higgins (R-LA),  Pat Fallon (TX). Democrats include Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL).
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that the task force would have subpoena authority and be handling all House inquiries into the Trump rally shooting. His office <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-reveals-members-of-task-force-to-investigate-trump-assassination-attempt">said</a> that the panel’s goals are to “understand what went wrong on the day of the attempted assassination,” “ensure accountability,” and “prevent such an agency failure from ever happening again.”
There are still questions about who was responsible for the security failures at the July 13 Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-VOTE

Task Force Investigating Trump Assassination Attempt Demands Briefings With Secret Service, FBI

Secret Service

U.S. House of Representatives

Former President Donald Trump has informed the federal government that he intends to sue over the FBI&#8217;s raid of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, alleging it was conducted to interfere with his 2024 election bid, Fox Business <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6360304946112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Monday.
Trump&#8217;s legal team is threatening to sue for $100 million, alleging the federal government is guilty of invasion of privacy, malicious prosecution, and abuse of process. The unprecedented raid of Trump&#8217;s estate took place just a year and a half after he left the White House and resulted in Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing special counsel Jack Smith to go after Trump over his handling of classified documents.
Judge Aileen Cannon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-dismisses-trump-classified-documents-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> the classified documents case against Trump last month after ruling that Smith&#8217;s appointment was unconstitutional. Trump&#8217;s lawyers argue that the federal government&#8217;s goal for the Mar-a-Lago raid was to stop Trump from running for the White House in 2024.
&#8220;That&#8217;s what President Trump believes the entire special counsel investigation was about, interfering with his ability to get elected,&#8221; said Daniel Epstein, counsel to the former president.
Trump&#8217;s legal team has also argued that the FBI ignored established protocol by conducting the raid without notifying Trump or his lawyers. Earlier this year, the FBI released a statement saying that the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-signed-off-on-use-of-deadly-force-for-raid-on-trump-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authorized</a> the &#8220;use of deadly force&#8221; during the raid on Trump&#8217;s estate, arguing that the authorization was in line with standard operating procedures. Agents were reportedly instructed to dress in a way that would hide &#8220;law enforcement equipment.&#8221;
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“The FBI followed standard protocol in this search as we do for all search warrants, which includes a standard policy statement limiting the use of deadly force. No one ordered additional steps to be taken and there was no departure from the norm in this matter,&#8221; the bureau said in a statement responding to reports about the raid instructions.
Trump&#8217;s lawyers are pointing to internal FBI emails that allegedly show agents questioning whether they obtained the required probable cause to proceed with the raid on Mar-a-Lago, Fox Business reported. Less than a year after the raid, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-top-fbi-official-disagreed-with-dojs-approach-to-trump-raid-jim-jordan-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that Steven D’Antuono, the former assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, &#8220;expressed strong concerns with the Department’s pursuit of the raid and noted several unusual features in the Department’s handling of the case.&#8221;
The lawyers argue that Garland should have known that as a former president, Trump would have immunity from prosecution over his handling of the classified documents in question and that Smith could not be appointed special counsel. The federal government now has six months to decide if it will settle Trump&#8217;s claim for $100 million. If the government does not settle with Trump, the former president can move forward with a lawsuit.

Trump Set To Sue Federal Government For $100M Over Mar-A-Lago Raid

Courts

Federal Government

A Pakistani man charged with plotting with Iran to assassinate former President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials was allowed into the U.S. even though he was on a terror watchlist.
Asif Raza Merchant, 46, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-arrest-pakistani-man-with-ties-to-iran-for-alleged-plot-to-kill-trump-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was arrested</a> last month and charged in a murder-for-hire plot to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on U.S. soil, the Department of Justice said in <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/pakistani-national-ties-iran-charged-connection-foiled-plot-assassinate-politician-or-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a press release</a> on Tuesday.
Just The News <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/security/fbi-let-suspect-plot-kill-trump-us-parole-despite-terror-ties-iran-trip-memos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Merchant was allowed into the U.S. by the FBI in April with special permission known as “significant public benefit parole,” despite being flagged on a terrorism watchlist and having recently spent time in Iran. The outlet obtained government memos showing that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force interviewed Merchant, fingerprinted him, and inspected his electronic devices when he arrived in Houston but allowed him to leave.
“Subject was polite and cooperative throughout encounter,” the FBI interview memo said. “&#8230; Subject&#8217;s notable travel outside of country of citizenship includes a recent trip to Iran.”
Merchant was arrested on July 12, just one day before Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-releases-statement-after-assassination-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was nearly assassinated</a> at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Immigration records reviewed by Just The News revealed that Merchant was on a watch list with a note calling him a “Lookout Qualified Person of Interest.”
Several law enforcement officials who spoke to Just The News said Merchant’s parole designation would allow agents to attempt to flip him into cooperating against terrorists or allow them time to determine why he was coming to the U.S. and who he was working with. Those tactics also came with the risk that they would lose track of Merchant, the officials told Just The News.
Merchant was also allowed to remain in the country beyond the expiration date for his parole.
After being allowed into the U.S., Merchant immediately contacted someone he thought could help him allegedly carry out the assassination, the DOJ said. That person contacted law enforcement and became a confidential source (CS) to assist law enforcement in its investigation of Merchant.
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Merchant allegedly told the CS that he was assigned to recruit hitmen to steal documents or USB drives from a target’s home, plan protests, and kill politicians or government officials. Merchant expected the CS to plan the assassination and warned him that the target would be surrounded by security. Merchant said the assassination should take place after he left the country and indicated that he had been assigned this task by individuals in Iran or Pakistan.
Undercover federal law enforcement agents posed as hitmen and got Merchant to allegedly agree to $5,000 in payment for the assassinations.
“Notably, when the FBI arrived at his residence to execute the arrest as well as a search warrant for the residence, Merchant refused to exit his residence for approximately 20 minutes after the FBI announced their presence and the search warrant,” court documents said. “During the search, law enforcement agents searched Merchant’s wallet and found the handwritten note inside with the code words that Merchant invented to communicate with the CS about the assassination plot.”
Neither the DOJ nor court documents mentioned Trump as Merchant’s target, but The New York Daily News <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/08/06/pakistani-man-tied-to-iran-eyed-donald-trump-in-political-assassination-plot-source/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> a source told the outlet that this was the case.

Asif Raza Merchant

Pakistani Suspect In Plot To Kill Trump Was Allowed Into U.S. Even Though He Was On Terror Watchlist

Suspect In Plot To Kill Trump Was Allowed Into U.S. Even Though He Was On Terror Watchlist

Pakistan

Terrorism

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FBI