Bethel Park, Pennsylvania – The Pennsylvania senator who represents the district where Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin of President Trump, lived said Saturday that the tragic rally reminded him of his three combat tours in the Middle East.
Allegheny Republican Sen. Devlin Robinson served as an infantryman in the U.S. Marine Corps. Iraq’s “Ambush Alley” Nasiriya He served in Fallujah, helping with house-to-house searches as part of the mission to rescue Army POW Jessica Lynch.
In Harrisburg, Robinson is chairman of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee, where he often focuses on veterans’ issues.
Robinson said the assassination attempt reminded him of his own experiences in Iraq, and that when it comes to securing any sensitive location, whether it’s a military base in the desert or a fairground in the Allegheny Mountains, the most important thing is that those tasked with guarding the area remain vigilant at all times.
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Republican Sen. Devlin Robinson of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, will speak to voters. (Senator Devlin/Media Handout)
“I’m not blaming anybody. I wasn’t there and I wasn’t involved in the planning,” Robinson said, “so they’re going to conduct their own investigation.”
“My personal experience in Iraq and Afghanistan led me to believe that during my third tour of duty in Fallujah, I walked through the barbed wire into the city of Fallujah almost every day, and we would go out the gates and spray paint the words ‘Carelessness Kills’ on the walls. Those were essentially the last words we read before we went into battle.”
Robinson has stuck to that belief ever since. Many of the missions that the military and domestic law enforcement agencies take part in may seem mundane and repetitive.
“Nothing happens when you do the same mission 99 times. So it takes a lot of prep work. It takes a lot of extra work. And then you start thinking about the bigger picture instead of thinking about what’s in front of you.”
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Thomas Matthew Crooks stands outside the Butler Farm Show in the aftermath of the July 13 assassination attempt on the former president in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Bethel Park School District/Getty Images)
Robinson said that’s why he believes “lone wolf” attacks like Crooks’ are dangerous and sometimes difficult to prevent.
Advances in technology have sharpened law enforcement’s focus on the difficult task of preventing mass casualty incidents.
“Sometimes we miss the easiest spot, like a sloped roof 130 yards away,” Robinson said after Crooks scaled a nearby low-rise glass building and took aim at Trump.
Robinson, a state senator from Bethel Park, which has transformed from a quiet suburb of Pittsburgh into an area that has attracted media attention from around the world, said it remains a great place to live and it’s shocking that someone from the area would be involved in such a heinous act.
“[Bethel Park’s] “The council and the local government have developed a community with a lot of special amenities. We have a great park system, we have a great trail system. The school district is one of the best in the area,” he said. “So when something like this happens, it creates some confusion as to why someone coming out of this area would want to harm someone.”
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Former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, raises his fist in Milwaukee with Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance. (Reuters/Elisabeth Franz)
Asked what people in the community know about Crooks, Robinson said residents characterize him as a reclusive person.
“It’s a great place to live but some of the issues get overlooked, so I just want to say we should take this opportunity to reach out to people who may be having issues and give them a hand or a listening ear for their whining,” he said.
“And listen to their stories and try to make more human connections with your fellow citizens.”
In Harrisburg, Robinson said the state government is in session after passing the state’s fiscal year 2025 budget last week. Send it to Governor Josh Shapiro Desk. That means there hasn’t been much legislative progress on the shootings.
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Robinson praised former President Trump’s actions after the near-assassination, when he was scheduled to spend the night in New Jersey before delivering his acceptance speech at the Republican National Committee.
“You have to carry on living your life. You can’t let the terrorists win. You can’t change your behavior. You just have to carry on living,” he said.
