A Pakistani national facing terrorism charges for allegedly plotting to kill President Trump on behalf of Iran has told federal agents that Tehran may have orchestrated the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt.
Asif Merchant, 47, was arrested on July 12, 2024—one day before the July 13 shooting at Trump’s rally. During FBI interviews, Merchant expressed suspicion that Iran was involved in the Butler incident.
FBI Special Agent Jacqueline Smith testified that Merchant said, “He said that he thought that Iran was responsible for that because that’s the same thing he was sent here to do.”
?? BREAKING: Paksatani National, Asif Merchant, who was ordered by the Iranian Regime to assassinate President Trump, says Iran might be behind the Butler, PA attempt on Trump's life."Merchant was arrested ONE DAY before Trump was SHOT IN BUTLER, Pennsylvania.""Merchant…pic.twitter.com/4Tco1TFD2T
Merchant is on trial in Brooklyn federal court, facing charges of terrorism and murder-for-hire. Prosecutors allege he worked with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to recruit hitmen targeting U.S. politicians, including Trump, Joe Biden, and Nikki Haley.
Testifying in his defense, Merchant claimed Iranian officials coerced him by threatening his family in Tehran. “My family was under threat, and I had to do this,” he said through an interpreter.
Prosecutors reject the coercion claim, pointing to Merchant’s actions like handing $5,000 to undercover FBI agents posing as hitmen.
The case unfolded amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, with Merchant’s plot revealed shortly after his arrest. His suspicions about Butler add fuel to questions surrounding the July 13 attack by Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Crooks, a 20-year-old gunman, fired multiple shots from a rooftop 150 yards away, grazing Trump’s ear and killing a rally attendee. Despite warnings, security lapses allowed Crooks to access the roof with a ladder and rifle.
Witnesses spotted Crooks up to 30 minutes before the shooting, yet no immediate action was taken. The Secret Service later claimed the sloped roof posed a safety risk, preventing agents from posting there.
Source: modernity
