Trump Voters Believe Assassination Conspiracy
NewsweekJUL 21 2024
FBI Charges Pakistani Man with Political Assassination Plot
FBI Charges Pakistani Man with Political Assassination Plot
Above: Federal law enforcement officers patrol the grounds of the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Michael M. Santiago/ Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The Justice Department has charged Asif Merchant, a Pakistani national, in an alleged "murder-for-hire" plot in New York to assassinate "a US politician or government officials on US soil," including potentially former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump.
According to the FBI, after spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the US from Pakistan in April. Court documents unsealed Tuesday don't claim he was acting on behalf of Iran but mention that he reportedly told investigators he has a wife and children in Iran and "indicated an affinity for Iran."
Federal officials claim he traveled to New York in June and paid $5K as advance payment to two undercover agents for the planned murders. He was supposed to deliver further instructions, including the names of the targets, in August or September after he had left the US.
The Spin
Merchant's foiled assassination plot is straight out of the Iranian playbook. It's evident that his modus operandi is similar to the Iranian government's policy of prosecuting its enemies on foreign soil. His criminal intent and approach are consistent with the actions of those who carry out high-profile assassinations on behalf of an American adversary. The US will outwit all attempts by an authoritarian regime to jeopardize the country's national security.
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