Trump Accuses Biden-Era FBI of Mishandling Butler Probe as Officials Say No Evidence Supports Broader Plot

President Donald Trump has renewed criticism of the FBI’s handling of the 2024 Butler assassination attempt, citing newly uncovered information while alleging a political conspiracy that investigators say has not been substantiated.

 

 

 

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President Donald Trump on September 15 renewed his criticism of the Biden-era FBI investigation into the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt and accused former FBI Director Christopher Wray of mishandling the case.

Trump went further by alleging that the July 2024 shooting was part of a Democratic plot intended to remove him from the presidential election, but he publicly provided no evidence supporting that allegation.

In his social-media statement, Trump claimed investigative information had been missing, altered or corrupted when he returned to office and said previously unseen information had recently been discovered by federal authorities.

Attorney General Todd Blanche separately confirmed that the FBI had obtained new information concerning gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, describing it as material about Crooks’ background and personal history that investigators previously lacked.

Reuters reported that recently reviewed records indicate Crooks received packages using the pseudonym “Bob Dole” and purchased components and tools that could increase the capacity of the rifle used in the attack.

Other reporting said records raised questions about Crooks’ cremation and an unidentified person who reportedly paid for it, although those details themselves provide no demonstrated connection to a political conspiracy.

FBI Director Kash Patel testified before senators on September 15 that investigators searched extensively for connections between Crooks and other people but found no evidence that another person directed the attack.

That assessment is consistent with conclusions presented by Patel and then-Deputy Director Dan Bongino in 2025, when FBI officials said their review determined that Crooks acted alone.

The bureau said its investigation involved hundreds of FBI personnel, more than 1,000 interviews, thousands of submitted tips, numerous subpoenas and search warrants, and analysis of electronic devices and online accounts.

FBI officials also said investigators gained access to Crooks’ known accounts, including foreign-based email services, and found no evidence linking him to a foreign government, organization or individual directing the shooting.

The FBI’s earliest public findings similarly indicated Crooks appeared to have acted alone, although investigators emphasized in July 2024 that they were still examining possible associates and trying to determine his motive.

Crooks, then 20, opened fire from the roof of the American Glass Research complex near the Butler Farm Show on July 13, 2024, firing eight rounds toward Trump’s rally stage.

Trump was struck in the right ear, rally attendee Corey Comperatore was killed, and David Dutch and James Copenhaver were wounded before a Secret Service counter-sniper shot and killed Crooks.

Investigators found that Crooks had researched campaign appearances involving both Trump and President Joe Biden, as well as political conventions, previous assassinations, ballistic calculations and information about explosive devices.

The FBI said Crooks was not previously known to the bureau, that the rifle used in the attack had been legally purchased, and that investigators found suspicious explosive devices after the shooting.

Separate congressional investigations nevertheless documented serious security failures surrounding the rally. A bipartisan House task force concluded that the attack was preventable and identified significant breakdowns in planning, execution and leadership.

Among the failures identified were inadequate security around the AGR building, confusion over responsibility for nearby areas, insufficient monitoring of sight lines, and fragmented communications between federal and local law enforcement.

A bipartisan Senate investigation also documented failures in Secret Service security planning, communications and coordination, while later reviews raised questions about denied resources and inadequate sharing of threat intelligence before the rally.

Those documented failures provide grounds for continued scrutiny of how Trump was protected, but they are separate from evidence establishing who motivated Crooks or whether political officials were involved in his attack.

As of September 16, publicly available investigations support the conclusion that Crooks acted alone while leaving his precise motive unresolved. Newly disclosed background information has not established Trump’s allegation of a broader Democratic conspiracy.