Pakistani Pleads Not-Guilty In Plot To Kill Donald Trump, Other American Officials

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on here. Why is this the first time I’ve heard about this? Did you hear about it? There’s obviously lots and lots of news stories out there, it’s easy to miss stuff, but, one would think that the arrest of this foreigner would have been front page, top shelf news across outlets, guaranteed to catch your attention. This is a big deal

Suspect pleads not guilty in alleged murder-for-hire plot against Donald Trump

A Pakistani national with ties to Iran pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges alleging he attempted to commit an act of terrorism and murder-for-hire as part of a scheme to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

The suspect, Asif Merchant, was ordered detained pending trial during the hearing in Brooklyn federal court.

Coincidentally, Merchant’s arraignment came the same day a different man — 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh — appeared in a Florida court to answer firearm charges connected to an unrelated apparent alleged attempt on Trump’s life.

Merchant was indicted on federal charges in August, after being previously arrested and charged by complaint the month prior. If convicted of the charges contained in the indictment, he faces up to life in prison

Did you hear about this in July?

“The Justice Department will not tolerate Iran’s efforts to target our country’s public officials and endanger our national security,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement following the indictment. “As these terrorism and murder for hire charges against Asif Merchant demonstrate, we will continue to hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against Americans.”

So, Iran was involved in trying to assassinate a past U.S. president? What is the Biden-Harris admin doing about this diplomatically?

After spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan in April and contacted a person he believed could assist him with the scheme to kill Trump, the complaint alleged. That person reported Merchant’s conduct to law enforcement and became a confidential source, according to the indictment.

Merchant sought to hire hitmen who could carry out the assassination of Trump and others, the indictment alleged. Merchant allegedly explained his plot involved multiple criminal schemes: stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; planning a protest; and killing a politician or government official, the indictment alleged.

He was arrested as he was attempting to leave the country. Apparently, this was big enough to catch the eye of Congressman Jim Jordan, who wants information out of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, wondering how in the f*** this guy was let into the country

(National Review) A resident of Pakistan, Merchant spent time in Iran before he traveled to the U.S. in April 2024 to begin recruiting people to help him assassinate U.S. government officials, the court papers indicate. Merchant was let into the country through Houston, Texas, and received parole, federal law enforcement sources told Fox News. The FBI was tracking Merchant before he entered the U.S., and his presence on American soil was needed to build a case against him before the arrest.

So, he did not come in on a visitors visa, he simply flew in and claimed asylum? Really? And stuck around for a few months trying to put together a murder plot? How serious was the FBI in tracking this guy after he was let in? Enough that Merchant was speaking to FBI agents playing a role, making Merchant think he was dealing with other Bad People.

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