Trump ‘satisfied’ with FBI’s conclusions in investigation of would-be assassin Thomas Crooks

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump's would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks, acted alone and was unknown to law enforcement when he tried to shoot the POTUS at a Pennsylvania rally in 2024, the FBI found out in its conclusion, as officials claimed Trump is "satisfied" with it.

Crooks’ digital accounts were reviewed as part of the probe into the July 2024 Trump campaign rally shooting in Butler, which is now listed as "pending, inactive," FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and a senior official told Fox News on Thursday, November 20.

FBI official debunks all conspiracy theories

Kash Patel said on Thursday, "We fully briefed the president, as a victim of this case, at the White House, providing him with all of the details of our investigation, and the president was satisfied with the results and where we left it."

Interestingly, the Crooks case has invited conspiracy theories and accusations that the bureau botched the investigation and stonewalled congressional lawmakers, who are also probing the shooting. 

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino added, "We have reviewed this case over and over, looked into every nugget. We have spoken to the families, the president — there is no cover-up here. There is no motive for it, there is no reason for it."

Moreover, Patel suggested former FBI Director Christopher Wray is to blame for the conspiracy theories surrounding the case, such as that Crooks was aided in carrying out the shooting attempt or that there was a second shooter. 

He said, "My predecessor went to Congress and said he didn’t know if it was a bullet that hit President Trump in the head. The whole world knew it was a bullet," and added, "For the number one law enforcement officer to say that — it causes a massive disbelief in the institution that Dan and I are now running."

He also claimed that "many people make a lot of money on social media pushing conspiracy theories for clicks."

Dan Bongino claims Thomas Crooks’ digital footprint wasn't 'messaged correctly' by prior FBI leadership

Dan Bongino also blamed earlier FBI leadership for downplaying Thomas Crooks' digital footprint. He said, "The degree of his digital footprint was not messaged correctly at all by prior leadership."

The FBI employees tasked with the case reviewed 2,000 tips, conducted more than 1,000 interviews "around the world", executed more than 10 search warrants, issued 100 subpoenas, and analyzed 13 electronic devices and 35 accounts linked to the gunman, the bureau official said.  

"The FBI has been able to access all of the accounts. There have been reports that inappropriately and incorrectly stated that there was encryption that the FBI was not able to get into, which is not true. We have been able to get into every single account," the official added.

The official said that Crooks maintained foreign-based email accounts from Germany and Belgium, which the FBI was "able to fully access … within days of the attack."

"Additionally, the FBI engaged with foreign partners who also provided all of the content of those email accounts. We can say with confidence that there is no communication, there are no emails that Crooks had that we have not been able to access," the official mentioned.

Meanwhile, Patel said, "Reports say that we didn’t get into certain devices? That’s false. We got into all of the devices."