FBI Links Trump Shooter to Antisemitic Social Media Account

The FBI has disclosed that the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally earlier this month may have connections to a social media account known for its extreme antisemitic and anti-immigration rhetoric. This disclosure sheds new light on the 20-year-old attacker, Thomas Matthew Crooks, although his exact motives for the assassination attempt remain uncertain.

FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate testified that investigators discovered over 700 comments on the social media account associated with Crooks. These comments were characterized by their promotion of political violence and extreme viewpoints, including antisemitic and anti-immigration sentiments. Abbate described these comments as “extreme in nature,” suggesting a deliberate attempt by Crooks to incite violence through his online presence.

Crooks, who executed the attack on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, had practiced shooting at a local sportsman’s club the day before the rally. He later acquired a rifle from his father, who was under the impression that the rifle was intended for use at the sportsman’s club. Abbate’s testimony highlighted a significant lapse in awareness, as the father was unaware of Crooks’ true intentions, which involved using the weapon in an assassination attempt rather than recreational shooting.

On the day of the attack, the Secret Service and Trump’s security detail were caught off guard by Crooks’ presence on the roof with a firearm. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe explained that the agents and security personnel only became aware of Crooks’ position when the gunfire began. Before the shooting, the security team was operating under the assumption that local law enforcement was dealing with a “suspicious individual” rather than an immediate threat.

The FBI has conducted a thorough investigation, including over 450 interviews and a review of various digital devices such as laptops and hard drives. They also found that Crooks was live-streaming the rally through a drone, adding a new dimension to the investigation. This live-streaming activity suggests a premeditated approach to the attack, allowing Crooks to document his actions and potentially broadcast them to a wider audience.

Despite these findings, the motive behind Crooks’ assassination attempt remains unclear. Crooks was a registered Republican who had made financial contributions to a Democratic organization, a fact that complicates understanding his political stance and motivations. He was killed by Secret Service agents shortly after firing at Trump. At the time of the attack, Crooks had not been previously identified by the FBI as a threat, and the Secret Service did not consider him a risk, though former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle noted that Crooks was labeled as “suspicious” but not flagged as a threat.

Investigators uncovered that Crooks had conducted searches related to Trump and had posted a cryptic message on the gaming platform Steam. The message, which read, “July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds,” indicated that Crooks had planned and anticipated the event. Additionally, Crooks researched the distance between Lee Harvey Oswald and President John F. Kennedy during JFK’s assassination, further revealing his interest in high-profile political violence.

The incident has also prompted debate about the nature of Trump’s injuries. Earlier this month, FBI Director Christopher Wray suggested that Trump might have been struck by shrapnel rather than a bullet. This suggestion was met with significant backlash from GOP lawmakers and Trump’s former physician, Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas. Jackson argued that there was “absolutely no evidence” supporting the shrapnel theory, citing preliminary evaluations by doctors at Butler Memorial Hospital, where Trump was treated. Trump himself criticized the FBI’s claim, asserting that the agency had not conducted a thorough investigation into the nature of his injuries. The FBI later clarified that Trump had indeed been hit by a bullet, whether it remained intact or fragmented into smaller pieces.

The shooting unfolded just minutes into Trump’s rally, causing him to fall to the ground. Despite the injury, Trump managed to rise, clutching his bloody ear and raising his fist defiantly. The Secret Service has faced substantial criticism for failing to prevent the attack, particularly for allowing a gunman to access a nearby roof with an AR-style rifle and fire at Trump from a clear vantage point. Reports indicate that some police officers had observed Crooks near the rally approximately 90 minutes before the shooting, raising concerns about the adequacy of the security measures in place.

The issue of which law enforcement agency was responsible for monitoring the warehouse Crooks used to access the roof has added another layer of complexity to the case. Cheatle, who resigned last week, admitted uncertainty regarding which agency should have been overseeing the warehouse area, highlighting potential lapses in coordination among security agencies.

As the investigation continues, authorities are working to piece together Crooks’ connections and motivations, seeking to understand the full extent of his planning and the security failures that allowed the attack to occur.