The FBI has reached a major conclusion in the Donald Trump assassination case, following public accusations that the bureau had been "withholding information".
When 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024 - grazing the then-presidential candidate’s ear and killing a bystander -the moment instantly shook the nation and launched one of the largest investigations in FBI history.
The suspect was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper team moments after firing eight rounds from a .223 rifle. A further 22 rounds, multiple magazines, and an undetonated explosive device were later found in his vehicle.
The FBI took control of the crime scene that same night, launching a probe that would span the globe, analyzing foreign and domestic leads and interviewing more than 1,000 individuals.
Despite public speculation and accusations of a cover-up, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino revealed that Crooks acted alone - and that there is no evidence of any coordination, motive, or manifesto behind the botched assassination attempt.
FBI Claims Crooks Acted Alone
Investigators examined Crooks’ 13 devices, accessed 35 digital accounts, and analyzed more than 500,000 files.
Despite online claims to the contrary, the FBI says it accessed all of Crooks’ encrypted data, including emails hosted in Germany and Belgium.
“There is no foreign connection in this case,” they emphasized, per FOX News. "There is no individual that is outside U.S. borders or inside U.S. borders that had any role in directing him, inspiring him, or assisting him in any way - and that includes foreign governments."
Theories about a second shooter were also dismissed. The individual spotted near a water tower was identified as a Pennsylvania State Police officer. "There were no phantom rounds. Every single round was accounted for," the official said.
Though Crooks searched for rally details and studied historical assassinations online, he left no note or explanation.
“He didn’t give any indication anywhere that he was going to do this or why,” the FBI said. “Where is the manifesto? The answer is - it doesn’t exist."
Digital Obsessions and Misinformation Fuel Speculation
Crooks’ digital history, much of it from 2019 and 2020, included posts calling for political violence and content related to niche online interests.
Officials confirmed he viewed animated erotica featuring muscular women on sites like DeviantArt but rejected claims of any connection to the “furry” community.
"Crooks was on that website and looked at images related to women who work out ... a lot," Patel said.
"That was his interest, and so we are sharing this with you to show that just because he was on a website that has a voluminous amount of terrible information on it, there is no investigative fact to back up a connection between Thomas Crooks and a portion of the website that had the ‘furry’ on it."
The FBI also addressed accusations from conservative commentators like Tucker Carlson, who claimed the agency misled the public.
Patel and Bongino refuted those charges, stating the bureau has provided full transparency - including over 40,000 pages of investigative documents to Congress.
"The FBI can only investigate based on a lawful predicate to open," he said. "Does the American public really want the FBI scouring social media and content everywhere without a lawful predicate and trampling over First Amendment rights?"
As for Crooks’ body, it was examined and DNA collected before being released to his family, who chose cremation. The FBI said the roof from which he fired was thoroughly processed before being cleaned and returned to the property owners.
Trump, for his part, expressed trust in the new FBI leadership. “I have confidence in Kash,” he said. “It’s a different group.”