In an interview on the “Flagrant” podcast, former President Donald Trump revealed new and alarming details about the July 13 assassination attempt on his life during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. As the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 presidential election, Trump discussed a major security breach and raised concerns about why authorities had not conducted a thorough investigation into the shooter’s devices.
During the interview, Trump suggested that there was more to the story, alluding to possible foreign involvement and criticizing the FBI for its apparent failure to unlock several phones and apps related to the suspect. “So you have this shooter, and you have another shooter, right?” Trump began, addressing podcast host Andrew Schulz. “This shooter had three cell phones… The FBI’s never gotten them opened!”
Trump responded by providing some details about the phones discovered in the shooter’s possession, alleging that the FBI has not yet investigated foreign-based applications purportedly installed on the devices. He suggested that some of these apps could be linked to hostile foreign powers, such as Iran, which he has previously accused of conspiring against him.
“They haven’t opened them, and they’re foreign-based,” Trump said. “You hear all about Iran. I was rough with Iran, but I want to stop all the killing.” Trump alluded to his past dealings with Iran as a reason the nation may have taken a hostile stance towards him. “Supposedly, they have a hit on me,” he said, implying that his tough policies against the Iranian regime could have fueled their motivation. The FBI’s handling of the evidence has heavily scrutinized since Trump’s near-death experience. “Why wouldn’t you open them?” Trump asked.
WATCH:
???Trump shares breaking news about the attempt on his life on the Flagrant podcast. The actions of those investigating what happened J7 are getting stranger and stranger… pic.twitter.com/N9ydZgWGmp
— Denz_ † ???? (@denz_0day) October 9, 2024
Following the second assassination attempt on Trump just over 60 days after a bullet narrowly missed his head on July 13, Secret Service veteran and prominent political commentator Dan Bongino last month suggested the presence of a “mole” within the Secret Service or Department of Homeland Security.
He noted that previously, Secret Service agents confronted 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh after he aimed a scoped rifle through the fence at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach. Routh was detected approximately 300 yards from the former president—whose golf game was not included in Trump’s public schedule—when he was spotted. He was later apprehended after an eyewitness identified both the suspect and his black Nissan.
Investigations have revealed that Routh traveled to Ukraine in 2022 and was involved in recruiting foreign fighters from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other nations to serve in the Ukrainian Army. Additionally, his social media profiles were filled with anti-Trump rhetoric, and he had donated to the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020.
During his daily radio program, Bongino raised the chilling possibility that there could be a “mole” within the Secret Service or the wider Department of Homeland Security, under which the Secret Service falls. “I have to ask you all a really troubling question now that I promised you 10 years ago I would have called myself nuts for asking this,” Bongino said before a long pause. “Is there a mole inside the DHS or Secret Service?”
He also shared that several documented schemes have involved foreign nationals or governments attempting to infiltrate and undermine federal agencies. For example, he recounted a recent story involving two individuals who were convicted of impersonating federal agents as part of a sophisticated plot that deceived the protective agency.
“Folks, what happened yesterday in Secret Service jargon, the movement to the golf, the golf course, Donald Trump going to play golf at the golf course is what we call an OTR. Stands for an off-the-record movement, meaning it’s not on the official schedule, meaning very few people have access to it,” Bongino explained. “What makes me even more curious about what happened yesterday is apparently the decision to golf was made at the last minute. Meaning, there were probably – when the decision was made, less than 10 people who knew about it. How’d this guy know to set up there?”
The former Secret Service agent-turned-successful podcaster also pointed out that the suspect, Routh, was not from the area. “How did he know how to set up, and where to set up, and that Trump was going to be there? Folks, the mole may not be a foreign national himself. I don’t want you to think Jason Bourne stuff. Don’t overcomplicate what doesn’t need to be overcomplicated,” he said.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.