Security experts are assessing the credibility of threats against former President Donald Trump, particularly in the wake of public calls for vengeance following the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader's father. Chants calling for Trump's death were reportedly heard at the funeral.
Bobby McDonald, a retired supervisory Secret Service agent and assistant professor of practice at the University of New Haven, noted the unique nature of Trump's public communication style. "We've really never seen a president like Trump before," McDonald said. However, he stressed that the fundamental responsibilities of the Secret Service remain constant, regardless of the volume of commentary emanating from public figures.
"He's out there with the rhetoric or whatever you want to call it—poking the bear in this war—and the rest of us who are the professionals in this area have to go out and manage that threat assessment and that threat detection and mitigation plan," McDonald explained.
Experts caution against equating public discourse directly with intelligence assessments or actual operational plans. Assessing the risk posed by Iran involves considering the reliability of recently shared intelligence, alongside the possibility that calls for retribution could incite independent actors to take action.