Republicans Ask Trump: Protect Officials From Iran Threats


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Two prominent Republican senators called on Donald Trump to reconsider his choice to withdraw security protection from several former administration officials, including one who was allegedly targeted by Iran.

The former president recently discontinued security details for his former national security adviser John Bolton, who later became his critic, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, among others.

In 2022, U.S. authorities indicted a member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps for allegedly conspiring to assassinate Bolton, who served as Trump’s third national security adviser until his departure in 2019.

“I would encourage the president to revisit the decision for those people who are being targeted by Iran,” Tom Cotton, chair of the U.S. Senate intelligence committee, told Fox News Sunday.

Tehran vowed retaliation following Trump’s authorization of a 2020 drone strike that eliminated General Qassem Soleimani, who commanded the Revolutionary Guards’ overseas Quds Force.

“I’ve reviewed the intelligence in the last few days. The threat to anyone involved in President Donald Trump’s strike (on) Soleimani is persistent. It’s real. Iran is committed to vengeance against all of these people,” Cotton said.

When questioned, Trump stated that perpetual government protection wasn’t feasible and suggested former officials could finance their own security arrangements.

Speaking to CNN, Trump ally Lindsey Graham expressed concern that this decision might deter qualified individuals from accepting future positions.

“Whether you like John Bolton or not, that’s not the question for me … We need to make sure that if you serve in our government and you take on a foreign power at the request of the administration that we do not leave you hanging,” he said.