Trump campaign requests military funds to protect him due to Iranian threats

The campaign headquarters of US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump asked the White House and the US Secret Service to strengthen his security measures in the final weeks before the election. The New York Times was the first to report this on October 11.

Trump's senior campaign adviser Susie Wiles, according to NYT sources, contacted the White House and the Secret Service and demanded additional security measures, including military means, due to the fact that Trump's safety remains at risk. Wiles said that due to a shortage of Secret Service agents, Trump had to postpone or cancel key events, sources told the publication.

According to one of The New York Times' interlocutors, the Trump campaign requested complex classified military tools that are used when working with sitting presidents. In particular, the headquarters demanded that bulletproof glass be used during campaign events in the main states where Trump will appear, and that flight restrictions be expanded over Trump's residences and the sites of his rallies. According to a Secret Service source, the agency is working on this issue with the White House and the Pentagon.

The Washington Post reported that Trump ally Congressman Michael Waltz sent a letter to the Secret Service asking for military aircraft for Trump to fly or for additional protection for his private jet. Former U.S. officials told WP they were not aware of any presidential candidates being provided with military aircraft, one source calling the granting of such a request “extraordinary.” Also, according to the publication, the Trump campaign requested that the Republican candidate be transported on military transport.

White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt said US President Joe Biden "has directed the Secret Service to provide former President Trump with the highest level of protection." A Secret Service spokesman, in turn, said that "the former president is provided with the highest level of protection."

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told WP that the agency is enforcing temporary flight restrictions over Trump's residence and during his travels, providing "the highest level of security technology," and routinely engaging the U.S. Department of Defense to protect Trump.

The Washington Post notes that the requests from the Trump campaign came after the US government warned the Republican's advisers that "Iran is still plotting to kill him." The publication's sources said Trump's advisers are worried about drones and missiles.

A Trump spokeswoman declined to comment to The Washington Post.

• The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating two attempts on the life of Donald Trump. The first happened in Pennsylvania on July 13, Trump was wounded in the ear, and the shooter was shot by a sniper. The second incident occurred in Palm Beach, Florida, near the golf club where Trump was. The guards noticed a rifle barrel in the bushes, after which they opened fire, and the suspect was detained. Sources told The Washington Post that there is no evidence that Iran is connected to the assassination attempts, but the FBI does not rule out the possibility of such a connection.
• Representatives of Donald Trump's campaign said in September that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned that Iran was threatening to kill Trump, ABC News reported . Trump then told a rally that if he were president and one of the leading candidates in the election was threatened, he would tell Iran he would "blow into pieces" its largest cities.