BREAKING: US Officials Nearly Got Trump Killed — Inside the Secret Service Failures and Iranian Assassination Plot

BREAKING: US Officials Nearly Got Trump Killed — Inside the Secret Service Failures and Iranian Assassination Plot

President Donald Trump has survived three assassination attempts in two years, but newly revealed details suggest US officials may have nearly gotten him killed through catastrophic security failures. From a secret plane swap that left journalists as decoys to a gunman who breached the White House Correspondents' Dinner, the Secret Service has faced its most significant operational failure in decades. Trump has survived attempts in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Washington D.C., with Iranian threats now reaching a fever pitch.

The Secret Plane Swap: Journalists Used as Decoys

On July 8, 2026, President Trump was in Turkey for a NATO summit when his security team executed a covert operation that has since sparked outrage. According to The Washington Post, Trump secretly exited Air Force One while it was on the ground in Ankara, climbing into a separate, unidentified aircraft. Meanwhile, Air Force One continued its scheduled flight path back to the United States with journalists and support staff still on board, effectively using them as decoys.

The move was designed to throw off Iranian assassins who, according to intelligence reports, had been tracking the president's movements. However, former Secret Service agents have called the operation reckless. "You don't use American citizens as bait," one former agent told reporters. "That's not how you protect a president. That's how you get people killed."

The Washington Post also reported that the Secret Service had warned the White House against traveling to Turkey due to the high threat level, but the president insisted on attending the summit. The decision to swap planes was made on the tarmac in Ankara, catching even senior staff off guard.

For more on US intelligence failures, read our investigation into the Secret Service's systemic security breaches.

The White House Correspondents' Dinner Attack

On April 25, 2026, a gunman breached security at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington D.C., coming within minutes of reaching the president. The attacker, later identified as 32-year-old Michael Thomas, had a security clearance that had not been properly vetted and was armed with a handgun.

Thomas was tackled by a group of journalists and attendees before he could reach the main stage, where Trump was seated. The Secret Service came under immediate fire for the security lapse, with multiple agents placed on administrative leave. "This was the single most significant operational failure in the Secret Service's history," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN.

President Trump reportedly took the incident personally, chewing out his security detail in a private meeting the following day. "How does someone with a gun get that close to me?" he was overheard saying.

This incident followed months of warnings from intelligence agencies about a potential attack at a large public gathering. Despite these warnings, the Secret Service reportedly did not conduct full background checks on all attendees, a decision that nearly cost the president his life.

The Pennsylvania Rally Shooting

On July 13, 2024, a 20-year-old gunman named Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple shots at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The attack left Trump with a graze wound to his ear and killed a bystander, 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore. Two others were critically injured.

The shooter fired from the roof of a building just 130 yards from the stage. Reports later confirmed that law enforcement had identified Crooks as a person of interest before the shooting began but failed to communicate the information to the Secret Service. Witnesses later told reporters they had seen Crooks carrying a rifle and had alerted police, but the warning was never passed up the chain of command.

Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service director at the time, resigned shortly after the incident. A Joint House-Senate committee investigation found "stunning failures" in security planning, including a lack of communication, inadequate perimeter security, and a failure to preemptively check the building the shooter used.

The shooting marked the first time a president or presidential candidate had been injured by an assassin's bullet since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

For more on the Pennsylvania shooting investigation, read our coverage of the ongoing congressional probe into the assassination attempt.

The Iranian Assassination Threat

Throughout 2025 and 2026, the Iranian government has publicly and privately threatened to assassinate President Trump in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani. The intelligence community has intercepted multiple communications indicating that Iranian operatives are actively planning attacks on US soil.

In October 2025, the FBI announced that it had disrupted an Iranian assassination plot targeting Trump at a campaign rally in Florida. Three Iranian nationals were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Court documents revealed that the operatives had conducted extensive surveillance and had identified multiple potential attack vectors.

"The threat from Iran is real, persistent, and evolving," FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress. "We are operating under the assumption that Iran will continue to attempt to exact retribution for the Soleimani strike."

Following the July 2026 plane swap operation, intelligence officials warned that Iran had intensified its efforts, using sophisticated drones, cyberattacks, and human assets to track Trump's movements. The plane swap was reportedly ordered after intelligence suggested that Iranian agents had infiltrated the NATO summit logistics chain.

Despite these warnings, the Secret Service has struggled to keep up with the evolving threat landscape, leading to significant congressional scrutiny and calls for a complete restructuring of the agency.

Timeline of Assassination Attempts on Trump

Frequently Asked Questions

How many assassination attempts has Donald Trump survived?

President Trump has survived three known assassination attempts: the July 2024 Pennsylvania rally shooting, the September 2024 Florida golf course incident, and the April 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner breach.

What was the Secret Service plane swap operation in Turkey?

On July 8, 2026, President Trump secretly left Air Force One while it was on the ground in Ankara, Turkey, and boarded a separate aircraft. Air Force One continued to the US with journalists and staff on board, effectively using them as decoys to throw off Iranian assassins.

Who was the gunman at the White House Correspondents' Dinner?

The gunman was identified as 32-year-old Michael Thomas. He breached security and was tackled by journalists and attendees before reaching President Trump. The Secret Service has since been criticized for failing to properly vet attendees.

What happened at the Pennsylvania Trump rally shooting in 2024?

On July 13, 2024, Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at Trump from a rooftop 130 yards from the stage. Trump was grazed on the ear, one bystander was killed, and two others were critically injured. Multiple security failures were later identified.

Is Iran actively planning to assassinate Trump?

Yes, US intelligence agencies have confirmed that Iran is actively planning to assassinate President Trump in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani. The FBI has disrupted multiple plots and arrested Iranian operatives.

What actions has the Secret Service taken after these incidents?

The Secret Service has undergone several leadership changes, with Director Kimberly Cheatle resigning after the Pennsylvania shooting. The agency is under congressional investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security has launched an internal review.