Trump Claims Iran Wants Him Dead: ‘I’m Their No. 1 Target’
President Donald Trump declared he is the top assassination target for Iran, a statement made after a chaotic NATO summit in Ankara where his ceasefire deal with Tehran collapsed and global oil prices surged.
While discussing the U.S. and Israel's elimination of much of Iran's senior leadership during the war he initiated five months ago, Trump speculated about his own fate at the hands of enemies. “They had leaders, they're gone, and they had another set of leaders, they're gone. Now they have another set of leaders, they may be gone. Who knows? And you know what, I may be gone too, because I'm their No. 1 target,” he stated.
He further emphasized his status, saying, “I'm the No. 1, because they're scum. That's the way they act, and that's the way they've done it for 47 years, but I'm doing what's right for the country.”
Just moments before this declaration, Trump labeled Iran’s current leadership as “a little loco” and “a little crazy,” contrasting them with the “great people” he claimed to have negotiated with during the now-failed ceasefire talks.
Despite calling Iranian leaders “crazy,” he suggested that the current regime might be “a little more rational” than those previously killed in airstrikes. “Level one is gone, level two is gone. This is level three. I think they are more rational,” he said, only to contradict himself by noting their recent actions in the Strait of Hormuz, which prompted renewed U.S. airstrikes and threats from Trump to escalate military action.
Since late 2019, Iranian leaders have plotted to assassinate Trump and former officials from his administration following his order to kill General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump opted for an unmarked private jet owned by Steve Witkoff instead of his branded Boeing 757, known as “Trump Force One,” due to security concerns.
Secret Service and intelligence officials were on high alert, fearing that Iran had operatives in the U.S. capable of using man-portable surface-to-air missiles against him.
Former advisers like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo received Secret Service protection for years due to threats linked to Soleimani's killing. However, Trump revoked their protection upon regaining power after they criticized him during his absence from the White House.
A federal jury in New York convicted Asif Merchant on murder-for-hire and terrorism charges related to an Iranian-led plot to assassinate Trump during the 2024 election cycle.
The Department of Justice reported that Merchant admitted the IRGC facilitated his travel to the U.S. to orchestrate Trump's assassination.
In 2024 alone, Trump faced two assassination attempts. The first occurred in July in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman fired a rifle shot that narrowly missed him.
Shortly after, Secret Service agents apprehended Ryan Routh near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club while he was armed with a rifle. Routh was convicted on multiple federal charges and sentenced to life in prison last February.
A failed assassination attempt also targeted Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April.
When asked about his comments regarding potential assassination, Trump remarked that the presidency is “a very dangerous profession” but expressed indifference to the risk, stating he was focused on fulfilling his duties. “I don't really care, because I'm doing my job, and I'm doing it. I hope better than anybody's ever done it, because we have a country that's hot and really, really successful,” he said.
Trump also mentioned being “No. 1” on another list — TikTok accounts. “I like being No. 1 on TikTok better,” he quipped. “But I’m No. 1 on the list for killing.”
