Tracy Walder, a former CIA officer and FBI special agent, said Thursday that new intelligence showing Iran is plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump comes as no surprise. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Israel shared information with the United States about a fresh Iranian attempt on Trump's life, as military tensions between Tehran and Washington escalate.
“I’m sadly not surprised by this,” Walder told NewsNation. “We know for certain that attempts have been thwarted. There are individuals who have been brought to trial for attempting to do this here in the United States.”
Walder suggested the intelligence exchange may be part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy to repair his strained relationship with Trump amid the ongoing conflict. “The relationship right now between Trump and Netanyahu isn’t great, for lack of a better word,” she said. “It was a lot stronger earlier on in this war, and so part of me does wonder if this was an opportunity on Netanyahu’s part to sort of bring Trump closer to him and closer into his inner circle, given everything that is going on with the attacks in the Strait of Hormuz right now.”
Trump has faced multiple assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign and second term. In June, the FBI announced it had thwarted a murder plot targeting the president and other top officials at the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn. “Thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody, and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.
On Thursday, eight men were indicted on federal charges for conspiracy to murder and providing material support to terrorists in connection with that plot. Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday that he is “No. 1 on the kill list for Iran.” He added, “I’m their No. 1 target because they’re scum.”
The president also raised security concerns after opting to travel on the older Air Force One rather than the new Qatari-donated model. The White House downplayed the decision, citing an abundance of caution, but Trump said the swap allowed the new plane to be viewed by troops in the U.K. The New York Times White House reporter Maggie Haberman questioned that explanation, calling it “a little hard to believe” on CNN. She noted the swap “does raise questions” about the Qatari plane’s defense systems, despite the Air Force spending less than $400 million on security upgrades.
For context on broader security concerns, see White House Tightens AI Agent Controls as Cyber Threats Surge. Meanwhile, legal challenges to federal operations continue, as highlighted in Federal Judge Halts Philly Mask Ban Targeting Federal Agents.
The ongoing threat underscores the volatile geopolitical landscape, with the Strait of Hormuz attacks and the Trump-Netanyahu relationship adding layers of complexity to U.S.-Iran tensions.
