Trump says US should wipe Iran "off the face of the Earth" if he's assassinated
Palm Beach, Florida - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently shared his vitriolic reaction to the idea that Iran wants to assassinate him.
![In a recent social media post, Donald Trump suggested that the US should "obliterate" Iran if he ever gets assassinated.](https://media.tag24.de/951x634/0/h/0hloswgop5ul787gplri0khzuf0dre1a.jpg)
On Thursday, Trump shared a brief video on his Truth Social platform of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming that Iran "brazenly threatened to assassinate President Trump" during his recent address to Congress.
"If they do 'assassinate President Trump,' which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth," Trump wrote in the post.
"If that does not happen, American leaders will be considered 'gutless' cowards!"
Earlier this month, the Secret Service confirmed they had increased security for the former president weeks before due to an Iranian threat against him over the 2020 killing of Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani.
This was unrelated to the assassination attempt on July 13 that left Trump slightly wounded in the ear and killed an attendee at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump shares footage from Netanyahu's address to Congress
![Trump (r.) is set to meet privately with Netanyahu on Friday.](https://media.tag24.de/951x634/9/4/9419xjnixmtth1ha3c63044g5xtb11cm.jpg)
Netanyahu has faced heavy criticism over his handling of the country's conflict in Gaza following an attack from Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 Israelis, most of which were civilians.
To date, Israel's ongoing counterstrike has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, most of which have also been civilians, though the death toll is likely to be much higher.
Trump and most of his fellow Republicans have expressed complete support for Netanyahu's response – with some even suggesting he should go further.
Many prominent Democrats, on the other hand, have warned that the assault has gone way too far, with no path to peace in sight while Netanyahu is leader.
Trump is set to meet with Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday.
Kamala Harris, who is expected to face Trump as the Democratic nominee in the 2024 election, did not attend Netanyahu's address but is scheduled to meet with him on Thursday.
Cover photo: Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP