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In a dramatic twist, the American public is calling on FBI Director Kash Patel to clarify the bureau’s actions concerning Thomas Crooks, following allegations from Tucker Carlson that the agency misrepresented facts about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Facing mounting pressure, Patel, aged 45, took steps towards greater transparency on Friday. He released an extensive list detailing the FBI’s investigative findings on Crooks, a 20-year-old who attempted to shoot Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Patel outlined that the investigation, which involved more than 480 FBI staff members, concluded that Crooks acted independently. The bureau found that Crooks had minimal online and physical interactions, orchestrated the attack solo, and did not disclose his plans to anyone. The investigation was thorough, involving over 1,000 interviews, scrutiny of 2,000 public tips, and the seizure of 13 digital devices.
This move towards openness followed accusations from Carlson, aged 56, who asserted that the FBI falsely claimed Crooks did not have a significant online presence. Carlson supported his claims by sharing what he alleged were Crooks’ own social media posts.
His renewed openness comes after Carlson, 56, claimed the FBI ‘lied’ when it said Crooks had no meaningful online presence before posting what he said were Crooks’ own social media entries.
The former Fox News anchor released the trove of evidence in a highly anticipated documentary on Friday morning.
‘The FBI told us Thomas Crooks tried to kill Donald Trump last summer but somehow had no online footprint,’ Carlson wrote on X. ‘The FBI lied, and we can prove it because we have his posts. The question is why? Story Friday.’
Carlson said he received the material from an anonymous source with access to Crooks’ wiped accounts. The posts allegedly show Crooks as a Trump supporter who drifted to the radical left during the pandemic.
Carlson claims the FBI concealed this and instead suggested Crooks was right-wing.
The FBI’s Rapid Response account quickly replied: ‘The FBI has never said Thomas Crooks had no online footprint. Ever.’
Americans angrily demand FBI Director Kash Patel answer up on the investigation into Thomas Crooks after Tucker Carlson claimed the agency lied after he did his own investigation
Comments posted by Thomas Crooks to YouTube from 2019 to 2020 show a detailed digital trail of violent threats that included calls for assassination and political violence, despite the FBI’s repeated claims otherwise, according to mini-documentary released by Tucker Carlson
The FBI lied about that fact, Carlson claims, noting that Crooks has since been framed by the agency as right-wing in what little information had been released about him.
The FBI’s Rapid Response X account quickly followed up with an answer, writing: ‘This FBI has never said Thomas Crooks had no online footprint. Ever.’
But it seems the public has similar questions to Carlson and want the case files to be cracked open immediately.
‘That’s a nice set of claims you’ve posted on social media. Love it! Can you give us the receipts, please, so we can verify that you’re telling the truth?’ an X user wrote.
‘Could you possibly go point-for-point with regards to Tucker’s questions he lists out in the end, and if you can’t answer them explicitly, at least address them in some way?’ another asked.
‘Why was his home sanitized and didn’t even have silverware?’ a third questioned.
‘Can you please share more of this information with Congress and the American people? We should have access to his online posts to better understand what radicalized him. There is no ongoing trial,’ an X user suggested.
Another agreed, writing: ‘If true, why is the FBI not reporting their findings so the public knows? Why gatekeep the info if that’s the case? There are no arrests or trials to need to keep the info hidden?’
The deep-dive investigation from the former Fox News stemmed from a tip he said he received from an anonymous source who had gained access to Crooks’ wiped social media accounts
Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service after he attempted to assassinated Trump
Trump sustained an ear injury from the shooting
Patel said more than 480 FBI agents were involved in the investigation, with more than 1,000 interviews being conducted, 2,000 public tips addressed
A third wrote: ‘So you’ll be releasing all of those files and reports shortly, yes?’
One scathingly wrote: ‘All that and Tucker still did better than you.’
In July – a year after the infamous shooting – American citizens were still left wondering what truly happened that day in Pennsylvania and demanded answers from Patel.
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, which left Trump with a bloody ear, two men with life-altering injuries and the death of father and firefighter Corey Comperatore, investigations began into how such a deadly lapse could’ve occurred.
The House of Representatives launched a task force to probe the shooting, but their report, published late last year, did not focus at all on Crooks or his motive, instead it highlighted the failures of the Secret Service, which led to the disaster.
The FBI similarly began a probe, but the agency has yet to deliver a full report for interested constituents.
Americans still don’t know the motive behind the shooting.
Many agreed with Carlson that there was unanswered questions the American people needed to know
When pressed on how little is known about the shooter during a May interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Patel poured cold water on the host’s question.
‘I don’t know that there’s more to know, but you’re going to know everything we know,’ he responded, downplaying the existence of additional information on Crooks and his motivation.
‘We take assassination attempts, especially of the president of the United States, extremely seriously,’ Patel said in the interview.