Man on trial in assassination plot says possible targets included Trump, Biden, Haley
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Pakistani businessman Asif Merchant is on trial in New York for attempting to hire hit men to assassinate U.S. politicians, including Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Nikki Haley, allegedly on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
- Merchant claims he acted under duress, fearing for his family in Iran, and anticipated being arrested before any violence occurred, hoping to cooperate with U.S. authorities for a green card.
- The hit men Merchant paid were undercover FBI agents, leading to his arrest on July 12, 2024, just before an unrelated assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania.
- Merchant testified that he was introduced to a Revolutionary Guard operative in late 2022 and was instructed to engage in criminal activities, including potential
