FBI Concludes Investigation into Assassination Attempt on Trump
The FBI has concluded that Thomas Crooks acted alone in attempting to assassinate President Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania last year. Interestingly, he wasn’t previously known to law enforcement. Trump himself has expressed satisfaction with the FBI’s findings.
The thorough investigation into the July 2024 shooting at a Trump campaign rally in Butler involved examining all of Crooks’ digital accounts, some based abroad, which are now categorized as “pending and inactive,” according to FBI officials including Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Patel mentioned that they fully briefed President Trump at the White House on the investigation outcomes, and he seemed satisfied with the details provided.
Crooks’ case has sparked various conspiracy theories, along with claims that the FBI mishandled the investigation and obstructed congressional inquiries into the shooting.
“We’ve revisited the case numerous times, examining every detail. We’ve communicated with both the family and the president—there’s no cover-up at play,” Bongino stated emphatically.
“There’s no clear motive,” he added, suggesting that former FBI Director Christopher Wray may have contributed to the spread of conspiracy theories regarding the attack. For instance, speculation circulated that Crooks, 20, had accomplices or that there was a second shooter.
“My predecessor even mentioned uncertainty about whether a bullet hit Trump,” Patel said, which understandably raised doubts about the FBI’s credibility. “That kind of statement damages trust in our organization.”
According to the officials, elements of the investigation included 485 FBI agents reviewing 2,000 tips and conducting over 1,000 interviews worldwide. They executed more than 10 search warrants and issued around 100 subpoenas while analyzing 13 electronic devices and 35 accounts associated with Crooks.
Patel clarified, “We had access to all accounts, contrary to some reports claiming we faced encryption issues.” Full access to overseas email accounts—like those in Germany and Belgium—was achieved shortly after the attack, and they found no communications that the FBI hadn’t accessed.
Bongino echoed confidence in their investigation’s outcomes, stating, “We have chased down every lead.” They also found no manifesto left by Crooks to explain his motives, which, understandably, frustrates the public.
“Where is the manifesto? It simply doesn’t exist,” he said, noting that Crooks did not leave behind any markers or explanations for his actions.
Interestingly, Patel noted that Crooks had an account on DeviantArt and showed interest in large, muscular women but didn’t appear active in the site’s “furry” community. “He browsed images related to women exercising,” Patel explained, indicating no direct connection to any concerning content.
Before the shooting, Crooks had made unsettling comments on YouTube promoting political violence, raising questions about whether law enforcement should have acted sooner. However, Patel emphasized, “No one in law enforcement was aware of him; no referral was made to us.” He reiterated that they do not monitor every individual’s online activities.
He added, “Immediate action would have been taken if someone had alerted the FBI.” Yet, there were no such tips.
FBI officials remain confident that every shot fired during the incident at the Butler Farm Show Fairgrounds is accounted for, asserting once again that Crooks acted alone. “We’re not claiming he has never associated with anyone; rather, those connections didn’t influence or motivate this attack,” Bongino concluded.
In a prior statement, Trump had indicated that he was “very satisfied” with the FBI’s investigation into the assassination attempt.
