Trump at NATO
Trump at NATO summit: Calls Iran’s leaders “scum,” says he remains their “No. 1” assassination target after ceasefire collapse and strikes on officials. Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken/WikiMedia Commons

Donald Trump said he remains Iran's 'No. 1' assassination target and branded the country's leadership 'scum' during a press appearance at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday.

Trump made the comments while discussing the collapse of his ceasefire deal with Tehran and reflecting on the deaths of senior Iranian officials killed in strikes he ordered five months ago.

'I'm The No. 1, Because They're Scum'

Trump told reporters that successive tiers of Iranian leadership had been killed since the war began, before suggesting he could meet the same fate. 'And you know what, I may be gone too, because I'm their No. 1 target,' he said.

He went further moments later. '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,' he added.

The remarks came shortly after Trump described Iran's current leadership as 'a little loco' and 'a little crazy', while at the same time praising his own negotiating team for 'dealing with great people' on the Iranian side during the talks that produced the now-collapsed ceasefire.

Tehran Plot And US Assassination Fears

Trump's fear of assassination by Tehran dates back to 2019, when he ordered the drone strike that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander General Qassem Soleimani. Iranian officials have previously denied plotting to kill US figures.

In March, a federal jury in New York convicted Pakistani national Asif Merchant on murder-for-hire and terrorism charges over an IRGC-directed plot to assassinate a senior US political figure during the 2024 campaign.

According to a Department of Justice press release, Merchant admitted the IRGC sent him to the US to arrange the killing, though the plot was foiled before any attack took place.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Merchant 'landed on American soil hoping to kill President Trump...instead, he was met with the might of American law enforcement,' the DOJ statement said.

Three Attempts On US Soil

Trump has survived three separate assassination attempts since his 2024 campaign began. A gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July that year, with a bullet coming within inches of killing him. The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who was killed at the scene by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

Weeks later, Secret Service agents arrested Ryan Routh near Trump's West Palm Beach golf club, where he was found hiding with a rifle. Routh was convicted on multiple federal charges last September and sentenced to life in prison this past February.

Trump was also the target of a failed assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington this past April.

According to a Department of Justice press release, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, ran through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton armed with a shotgun and pistol and was charged with attempting to assassinate the president. A Secret Service officer was shot in the chest but was protected by a ballistic vest.

Contradictions Over Iran's Leadership

Despite calling Iran's remaining leaders 'crazy', Trump also suggested the current tier running Tehran is 'a little more rational' than those killed in earlier strikes. 'Level one is gone, level two is gone. This is level three. I think they are more rational,' he said.

He then appeared to contradict himself, saying the same leaders might not be acting rationally given Iran's recent attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which have prompted renewed US airstrikes.

Asked why he raised the assassination threat at all, Trump said the presidency is 'a very dangerous profession' and that he does not fear death because he is 'doing my job'. He added that he prefers being ranked 'No. 1' on TikTok to being top of Iran's 'list for killing'.

Trump's comments come as his administration's ceasefire with Iran appears to be unravelling, with renewed strikes and rising oil prices signalling a possible return to open conflict. His remarks on repeated assassination threats, backed by a federal conviction and two prior attempts on his life, underline the security risks tied to the collapsing truce, and raise questions about how the White House will respond if tensions escalate further.

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