President Donald Trump revealed that his Wisconsin rally had to be scaled down due to federal resources being redirected to protect Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has been linked to threats against Trump.
Originally expected to draw tens of thousands, the event was moved to a smaller venue, leaving many supporters unable to attend.
“We have a nice little room that probably holds 1,500, 2,000, maybe less. But there are thousands of people outside—40,000, 50,000—because this administration couldn’t give us the Secret Service necessary,” Trump told the packed crowd at the Prairie du Chien Area Arts Center. “They’re guarding the Iranian President who’s looking to kill Trump. Can you believe it?”
🚨BREAKING: President Trump had to downgrade his venue in Wisconsin today because the secret service is protecting the Iranian President pic.twitter.com/jGWqJNvHMb
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 28, 2024
Many Trump supporters braved the Wisconsin cold, lining up as early as 8 a.m., only to be turned away due to the smaller venue. Trump alleged that security resources were diverted to protect Pezeshkian, who was attending the UN General Assembly in New York. Pezeshkian, a vocal critic of the U.S. and Israel, has accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza and called for peace in global conflicts. He also expressed Iran’s willingness to re-engage in discussions on the 2015 nuclear deal.
U.S. intelligence officials recently briefed Trump’s campaign about Iranian threats against him, though details remain classified. This follows a previous report from CNN about an Iranian assassination plot targeting Trump, which had prompted the Secret Service to increase security at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Although a man named Thomas Matthew Crooks was arrested in connection with threats at that event, officials confirmed he was not linked to the Iranian plot. “Secret Service learned of the increased threat from this threat stream,” an official told CNN.
