Comments on social media linked to Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump last year, reveal his fixation on issues like gender ideology and various forms of sexual perversion.
During a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, Crooks fired eight shots at Trump. Although he only grazed Trump’s ear, he tragically killed former fire chief Corey Comperatore and wounded two others, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, who were behind the president.
The FBI has pointed out that the shooter’s motives remain murky. In a testimony months later, Deputy Director Paul Abate mentioned that routine intelligence check-ups found little of significance regarding Crooks’ motives or ideology. From 2019 to 2020, over 700 comments on a social media account believed to belong to Crooks surfaced, with many reflecting extremist views, including anti-Semitism and advocacy for political violence.
After journalist Tucker Carlson shared screenshots allegedly from Crooks’ posts, Abate revealed to Congress that Crooks’ online activities showed a dramatic ideological shift from being pro-Trump to vehemently anti-Trump, ending abruptly without further postings.
A source suggesting they had examined the digital footprint of Crooks claimed that his threatening and extremist rhetoric had been evident for years, documented under his real name. They argued that the narrative of Crooks being a solitary actor without a clear motive is misleading.
In 2019, Crooks posted fervently pro-Trump content and made disparaging comments about Democrats. However, by early 2020, his rhetoric flipped: he mocked Trump, defended strict pandemic lockdowns, and claimed Republicans were overly concerned about voter fraud, while appearing to gain support from a Norwegian neo-Nazi group.
Moreover, he implied that Trump supporters were “too brainwashed” to see reality. Just months after shifting his political perspective, Crooks hinted at planning a “terrorist-style attack” and even began engaging in the furry community online.
Reports indicate that Crooks had personal ties to the furry subculture and may have had a fur fetish, with evidence suggesting a fascination with anthropomorphic characters. This wasn’t an overnight descent into extremism; rather, it seemed that Crooks had a history entwined with politically charged and violent narratives.
Turning Point USA spokesperson, Andrew Corbett, remarked that the discoveries around Crooks’ identity and background are concerning, stating, “This is more than a correlation; this is a five-alarm fire.”
