Watch: Trump Explains 'This Is Why They Want to Kill Me' as Elections Gets Closer

The restraint that former President Donald Trump has shown in holding back his usual fighting spirit always seemed like it would eventually break.

Since the first assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, and especially following a second attempt at his Palm Beach golf course just ten days ago, I’ve often wondered—along with many others—how he has managed to keep campaigning without retaliating, at least rhetorically, against those who tried to take his life, and those who may have, knowingly or not, enabled such attempts.

That restraint finally gave way during a campaign event in North Carolina on Wednesday, where Trump openly discussed the assassination attempts, identified a possible suspect, and explained "why they want to kill me."

"People in certain countries want to kill me. They’re not happy with me. It’s a risky business. This is why they want to kill me," Trump said in a clip shared on the social media platform X.

"They only kill consequential presidents. Remember that. But this is why, if you’re one of the countries affected, you’re not happy with what I’m saying," he added.

While his remarks may sound vague, Trump had already spoken at length about "they." In this instance, he was referring to foreign adversaries, particularly Iran.

"When they used to say they liked Barack Hussein Obama, of course they did, because he did nothing to help us. When they like [President Joe] Biden, who doesn’t even know he’s alive, of course they like him, because he does nothing to bring your businesses back. He lets the world rob our country — the robber barons — he lets them rob and steal from us, and most importantly, he lets them take our jobs," Trump continued.

For those watching that clip in isolation, it might seem like Trump was using the assassination attempts as a segue to make a broader campaign-related point about jobs.

In reality, however, he was using the job-related point to draw attention to the assassination attempts.

Earlier in his speech, Trump delivered one of the most surreal moments in modern U.S. campaign history.

"As you know, there have been two assassination attempts on my life, that we know of," Trump began. "And they may or may not involve — but possibly do — Iran."

In a surprising moment, Trump admitted that he "can’t be sure" who the main suspect is.

He then criticized the FBI for failing to access the would-be assassins’ phones, noting that the FBI’s leadership has been more focused on imprisoning the government’s political opponents.

"They had no problem breaking into the apps of the J6 hostages," Trump said, referring to those involved in the January 6 Capitol events, often viewed as victims of the Biden administration’s heavy-handed approach. This comment likely resonated with many who have hoped for Trump to take a stronger stance on that day, which has raised suspicions of federal involvement.

"They could be Iran-based. They could also be something else," Trump speculated about the assassins' phone apps.

Moments later, Trump laid down a challenge.

After thanking Democrats for unanimously increasing Secret Service funding, Trump urged Biden to take decisive action.

"If I were the president, I would tell the threatening country, in this case Iran, that if you harm this person, we’re going to blow your largest cities and the country itself to smithereens. We’re gonna blow it to smithereens. You can’t do that," Trump said, directing his words toward Biden.

"And there would be no more threats," he concluded.

Early Wednesday morning on Truth Social, Trump addressed the threats from Iran, saying, "Big threats on my life by Iran," and added, "An attack on a former President is a Death Wish for the attacker!"

Last week, Rep. Matt Gaetz revealed that a senior Homeland Security official informed him of five different assassination teams targeting Trump—three foreign and two domestic.

Given all this, I must admit I’m unsure what to make of the situation.

Based on Trump’s comments, it’s clear he’s taking the alleged Iranian threat seriously.

However, he didn’t limit his remarks to just Iran. Although he thanked Democrats for their vote on Secret Service funding, Trump also had harsh words for the Biden administration, which he accused of targeting him and his supporters with relentless aggression.

Suffice it to say, we are indeed navigating uncharted waters.