Assassination operation for $435: The ridiculous online campaign against Donald Trump
Iranian TV presenter Maryam Qasemi called on viewers to donate money for a reward to anyone who assassinates the US President. According to her, 81 million tomans have been collected so far, an amount equivalent to about $435.
The Iranian hatred toward US President Donald Trump is no secret, but it sometimes takes on publicly ridiculous expressions, especially in light of the shaky economic situation in the Islamic Republic and the collapse of the local currency. In a live broadcast on the Iranian state television channel "Quran TV," TV presenter Maryam Qasemi turned to viewers with an unusual and exceptional request in the media landscape: to donate money from their own pockets for a cash prize to be awarded to whoever manages to assassinate Trump. According to the viral footage translated and distributed by the MEMRI institute, the amount collected so far mainly evokes ridicule in the West.
During the broadcast, Qasemi shared with viewers what she defined as the "national wish" of the Iranian people:
"The common wish of the Iranians is that one day we will announce on the news the death of Trump, Inshallah," the presenter said firmly. She even added a chilling personal hope when she said in front of the cameras: "Inshallah, it will happen very soon. I hope I will have the honor to do it myself and read the announcement."
After this introduction, Qasemi turned to the home audience and asked them to offer real amounts they would be willing to donate as a reward to the future assassin. While in Western countries prizes of this kind would be estimated in the millions of dollars, the grim economic reality in Iran dictated completely different amounts. Qasemi announced with pride that so far 81 million Iranian tomans have been collected from viewers. In absolute numbers, this might sound like a huge fortune, but in practice, it is a meager amount equivalent to about 435 US dollars. To improve the situation and present a more respectable front, a guest on the program, Dr. Alireza Younchi, intervened and offered to complete the amount from his own pocket to reach a round 100 million tomans.
The deep hostility toward Trump stems mainly from his decision to pressure Iran, and before that from the decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal and impose heavy sanctions on the Ayatollah regime. Another reason for the hostility is the order for the assassination of the commander of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, in 2020. However, this television campaign reveals mainly the absurd gap between the extreme and militant rhetoric of the regime and its limited economic capabilities.
