FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies about Trump rally assassination attempt

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 03:35:00 -0400

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Newly-released bodycam video shows officers making their way to the roof where Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who allegedly tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump, made his attempt.

Video obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) shows officers working their way through fencing. “I’m trying to figure out how this guy got here,” one officer is heard while snaking his way through fencing and police tape.

“Can we use this ladder,” an officer is heard asking, to which the responder said, “Yes, yes.”

The report shows officers accessing the roof and finding a blood trail that led to Crooks, with allegedly an AR-15 by his side and eight shell casings near him.

“So this is the guy the snipers saw?” the officers asked, to which they were told, “Yes, this is him.”

In addition, officers found a remote-controlled device on Crooks, about 6-8 inches tall, which was believed to detonate a device elsewhere.. 

Fox News national correspondent Bryan Llenas reports on newly obtained video of the shooting at former President Trump's Butler, Pa., rally on 'Fox News @ Night.'

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 03:16:07 -0400

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Representative Nancy Mace joined 'Fox News @ Night' to discuss new information on the assassination attempt against former President Trump.

During her appearance Mace spoke about the hearing and the information discussed by FBI Director Christopher Wray.

"The second thing I wanted to say was at least we got little bits and pieces and gleams of information today with Christopher Wray," said Mace. "We got nothing on Monday from the former director of the Secret Service. But there's still a long way to go and both Senator Grassley and Senator Johnson have been putting out preliminary reports of their findings, some of which I used in the questioning of the director on Monday. It's been very difficult to get any information of any agency secretary Mayorkas on to come forward next and answer congressional questions."

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 01:46:41 -0400

Judge Cecilia Altonaga of United States District Court in Miami has rejected ABC's motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against the Disney-owned network and its anchor George Stephanopolous by former President Trump, allowing it to move forward. 

The lawsuit stems from comments Stephanopoulos made in March when he falsely asserted that Trump was found "liable for rape" in a civil case. 

"A jury may, upon viewing the segment, find there was sufficient context. But a reasonable jury could conclude Plaintiff was defamed and, as a result, dismissal is inappropriate."

The former president trumpeted the ruling on Truth Social, writing, "A BIG WIN TODAY IN HIGH FLORIDA COURT AGAINST ABC FAKE NEWS, AND LIDDLE’ GEORGE SLOPADOPOLUS. A POWERFUL CASE! BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA WILL BE FORCED BY THE COURTS TO START TELLING THE TRUTH. THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR OUR COUNTRY. MAGA2024!"

ABC News declined to comment. 

Stephanopoulos' comments were made during a tense exchange with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on his Sunday program "This Week" in March.

After playing a clip of Mace discussing being a victim of rape, Stephanopoulos asked her, "How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?" 

"You've endorsed Donald Trump for president. Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape," Stephanopoulos said, alluding to the legal victory by Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll. 

The ABC News anchor remained defiant about the lawsuit during an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in May.

"Trump sued me because I used the word ‘rape,’ even though a judge said that’s in fact what did happen," Stephanopoulos said. "We filed a motion to dismiss.

"After the federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse, but not rape, Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in a later ruling that just because Carroll failed to prove rape "within the meaning of the New York Penal Law does not mean that she failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’"

Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 21:49:14 -0400

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The House of Representatives unanimously voted to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Trump.

None of the lawmakers in attendance voted against the measure, while the 416 who were present voted yes. Also in attendance were 10 Democrats and six Republicans who did not vote.

The new task force will be comprised of seven Republicans and six Democrats, with the members likely being announced this week.

House GOP leaders raced the bill to the floor after the deadly shooting at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania rally nearly two weeks ago. One attendee died and two others were injured, with Trump himself getting shot in the ear and evacuated off stage by Secret Service.

The vote was bipartisan, as expected — the hours following the shooting prompted a flurry of bipartisan condemnations against political violence, as well as scrutiny of the security situation that allowed a 20-year-old gunman with an assault rifle onto a rooftop just outside the rally perimeter.

Read more about the unanimous bipartisan vote.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 06:24:51 -0400

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Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald L. Rowe, Jr. will testify before three Senate committees next week on the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Along with Rowe, the deputy director of the FBI will also testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is holding a hearing in partnership with the Senate Homeland Security Committee and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.

Rowe was appointed to the position of acting director after former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday.

Cheatle’s resignation came after her lackluster testimony on Capitol Hill on Monday, which resulted in bipartisan demands for her to step down from her position after failing to protect Trump.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced Rowe’s appointment Tuesday, saying he has served as Deputy Director of Secret Service since April 2023.

Rowe is a 24-year veteran of the agency and previously served as the Secret Service’s Assistant Director for the Office of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs, Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Protective Operations, and in other leadership positions.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 20:46:35 -0400

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Butler County, Pennsylvania’s top prosecutor said Wednesday that testimony provided to federal lawmakers this week suggesting two snipers were in the building next to the roof from which the would-be Trump assassin was able to get a clear shot of the former president before opening fire at a rally on July 13, was “misstated.”

Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger pointed at testimony provided by Pennsylvania State Police commissioner Christopher Paris, which was given to the House Committee on Homeland Security on Tuesday.

In a press release, Goldinger explained that 20 minutes before Thomas Matthew Crooks started firing shots at former President Trump, two local snipers saw the gunman seated outside and took a picture of him before circulating it and passing it along to the Secret Service and Pennsylvania State Police.

The DA said Crooks moved his location to the opposite side of the building, and both local snipers moved within the building to the other side to match the suspicious person’s movements.

While both officers were on the second floor, one ran outside to look for Crooks, Goldinger explained, after spotting the would-be assassin running off with a backpack.

Goldinger told Fox News one sniper remained in the building while the other went outside.

The sniper who went outside could not find Crooks and returned inside. That’s when, according to Golding, both snipers heard the gunfire.

Goldinger told Fox News the entire building was the post for the two snipers and it is a mischaracterization to say otherwise.

He also said if the local snipers had remained at their original location inside the building, they would not have been able to see Crooks. Instead, Goldinger said, they would have needed to lean out of the window to see Crooks.

Fox News' CB Cotton contributed to this report.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 19:45:44 -0400

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In addition to would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks, other suspicious people were noted by security at the Butler, Pennsylvania event, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris told the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday.

"Was [Crooks] the only one determined to be suspicious that day," Rep. Andrew Garbarino asked Paris during a hearing with the committee.

"No, he was not," Paris replied.

"They identified Crooks for not matriculating," Paris said. "Crooks never made it through the secure perimeter into the venue space itself."

There were at least two other suspicious people identified and tracked by the law enforcement that day - but after spotting Crooks with a rangefinder, he became a "special individual," who was "even more suspicious," he said.

Read more about the commissioner’s testimony.

Fox News’ Christina Coulter contributed to this report.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 20:01:33 -0400

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Mary Crooks, the mother of would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks, was pictured outside for the first time since her son shot the former president, injured two rallygoers and shot dead former fire chief Corey Comperatore.

The gunman's mother, who is blind was guided by her husband Matthew Crooks from their blue Toyota Tacoma into their Bethel Park home around 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening.

Her husband opened her car door for her and grabbed onto her hand as the pair entered the house.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified Wednesday that 14 guns were found in their home. The weapon Crooks used in his attempt to assassinate former President Trump was bought by Matthew Crooks in 2013, and later sold to his son.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 18:11:45 -0400

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One of the two surviving men who sustained wounds when a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday has been released from the hospital, while the other remains in serious but stable condition.

The survivors, 74-year-old James "Jim" Copenhaver, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, and 57-year-old David Dutch of New Kensington, Pennsylvania were at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when a gunman opened fire on former President Trump, grazing his ear.

Both men were transported to the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment.

On Wednesday, Dutch was discharged from the hospital, according to hospital officials.

Copenhaver remains in the hospital in serious, but stable condition.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 18:12:19 -0400

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Video provided by the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., show officers racing to get to the building the would-be assassin of former President Trump, showing confusion on how to access the roof and more.

Exclusive video obtained by Grassley from Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, in compliance with congressional requests, show the officers racing to the AGR building after the shooting, and when they arrive, the officers are not sure how to access the roof.

The videos also show the shell casings being pointed out and counted, with officers noting that the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had a rangefinder and cell phone on him.

There were also discussions heard on the video about Crooks having a potential detonator, though the officers were not sure if the device was active or not.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 16:31:31 -0400

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FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that the first time anyone from law enforcement saw would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks with a weapon was seconds before he opened fire.

Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday afternoon and was asked about the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.

He was asked about the amount of time that passed between law enforcement officials seeing Crooks with a weapon and the moment shots were fired.

A local law enforcement officer saw Crooks on the roof without a weapon minutes before the shooting, though seconds before the shooting the same law enforcement officer saw him with a weapon.

“That is the first time, to my knowledge, the first time anybody from law enforcement saw him with a weapon,” Wray said. “That is seconds before he shot at President Trump.”

Wray was then asked how close the assassin’s bullet came to killing Trump.

“My understanding is that either it, or some shrapnel is what, you know, grazed his ear. So, I don’t know that I have the very distance…,” Wray answered before being asked if he would say very, very close.

“Yes,” Wray said.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 16:14:25 -0400

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FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday that the weapon used in the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13 was purchased by the shooter’s dad and sold to the shooter 10 years later.

Wray was asked about the history of the weapon used by Thomas Matthew Crooks when he opened fire at the presidential rally.

“I'm told that the father purchased the firearm in 2013, so quite a while ago, and then he sold it to his son in October of 2023,” Wray said.

The AR-style weapon was seen in law enforcement body camera footage released on Tuesday, near the shooter’s body on top of the roof he fired eight shots from before being killed by a counter sniper.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 15:45:42 -0400

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FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday that a Steam account previously reported to have belonged to would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks belonged to someone else.

Wray was asked about a post allegedly made by Crooks on the gaming platform, which read, “July 13 will be my premier, watch as it unfolds.”

Wray said the information was released as the FBI was obtaining real-time information, but the agency has since learned the profile page that made the post was not the shooter.

Instead, he said, it was another individual who was making a “sick joke.”

After the shooting, the person who made the post created a profile page pretending to be the shooter, Wray said, and that person has since confessed to that.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 15:21:28 -0400

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the people of Israel were relieved former President Trump emerged safe and sound after being attacked at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.

Netanyahu made the comments as he addressed a joint session of Congress Wednesday afternoon amid his country’s continued fight against the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.

“Like Americans, Israelis were relieved that President Trump emerged safe and sound from that dastardly attack on him…dastardly attack on American democracy,” Netanyahu said. “There is no room for political violence in democracies.”

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 15:02:04 -0400

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A Michigan man was found dead after allegedly telling police that he would confess to crimes targeting supporters of former President Trump and law enforcement.

One incident involved a four-wheeler that the driver used to plow down an 80-year-old man who was placing Trump signs in his yard. The elderly victim was hospitalized Sunday in critical condition.

The Hancock City Police Department received a message from an individual in Quincy Township on Monday who stated they wanted to "confess a crime involving an ATV driver within the last 24 hours," according to a press release from the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office. The caller further told police to "send someone to pick me up," the press release said.

Officers and deputies responded to the address and discovered a 22-year-old male suspect at the scene who was "deceased with a single self-inflicted gunshot wound," the sheriff’s office said.

The press release stated that the crimes reported in the City of Hancock "appear to be politically motivated, involving victims who displayed Trump election signs and law enforcement stickers and flags commonly referred to as ‘thin blue line’ paraphernalia."

Read more about the politically motivated attacks on Trump supporters.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 14:23:40 -0400

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FBI Director Christopher Wray's testimony to the House Judiciary Committee is providing new details to the timeline of the Trump assassination attempt on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Wray revealed Wednesday that shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks conducted a Google search for "how far away was Oswald from Kennedy" on the same day he registered to attend the rally.

Crooks also visited the rally site about a week before the shooting and spent about 20 minutes there, Wray said. 

Read more about the Google search Crooks conducted before shooting.

Fox News' Rebecca Rosenberg and Bryan Llenas contributed to this report.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 13:32:33 -0400

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FBI Director Christopher Wray offered new details about the explosive devices found in Thomas Matthew Crooks' car and home during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

Wray is facing questions from lawmakers about the FBI's investigation into Crooks' attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

He said the FBI found 3 ‘relatively crude’ devices and the bombs were rigged for remote detonation.

Wray did not detail the size of the detonator but said Crooks was able to carry it with him onto the rooftop along with his rifle.

The FBI director also said that the state of the on-off switch on the detonator indicated it would not have worked had Crooks attempted to activate the bombs after opening fire on Trump.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 18:59:34 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday that "we now believe that the subject climbed onto the roof using some mechanical equipment, on the ground and vertical piping on the side of the AGR building, in other words, we do not believe he used a ladder to get up there."

He also said "outdoor events, whether they're political rallies or... a college football game in an open stadium, a concert, these are places that are, often, you know, particularly challenging to secure adequately, because the range of threats that can face them are higher.

"In addition to that... just threats to public officials, including politicians, is an increasingly, pervasive part of today's landscape. And so that adds to the challenge," Wray continued.

Read more about the FBI director's testimony.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 13:22:25 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday that a person affiliated with his agency is being investigated over a “totally inappropriate” post about the Trump assassination attempt. 

“Have any FBI agents texted, emailed, or expressed disappointment that Trump survived the assassination attempt, or otherwise editorialized about the assassination attempt?” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, asked Wray during the House Judiciary Committee hearing.  

“I don't know about any agents. There have been at least two instances, I think, or one instance of an individual, who posted something that I consider outrageous and totally inappropriate and unacceptable. And that individual has been referred to our inspection division, which is the arm, our sort of internal affairs investigatory arm that does the disciplinary process,” Wray responded. 

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 12:45:08 -0400

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BUTLER, Pa. – Whistleblowers have told Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley that a law enforcement officer who was assigned to monitor the roof of a building that would-be former President Trump assassin Thomas Crooks fired from on July 13 left their post because it was "too hot."

Crooks, 20, fired multiple rounds from the roof of American Glass Research (AGR) Building 6, which was outside the rally perimeter but had a direct line of sight to where the former president was standing on stage at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"This comes from a whistleblower with direct knowledge of the Secret Service plan and setup that day," Hawley said. "And what this whistleblower tells my office is that there was at least one law enforcement person assigned to the roof itself. In other words, the plan called for a law enforcement individual to be on the roof at all times during the rally. And that did not happen. And what the whistleblower tells me is the law enforcement individual who was assigned to that roof abandoned it."

Butler's temperature reached a high of 92 degrees on July 13, and prior to the assassination attempt, emergency personnel at the rally were mostly focused on attending to people suffering from heat-related illnesses.

Hawley, who visited the rally site on July 19, noted that the AGR building in question was about 150 yards or fewer from the main stage of Trump's rally.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 12:29:17 -0400

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said Wednesday during the House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting response that "we can add additional resources to protect political candidates. And we should.

"The people who went to that rally deserved to be protected from gun violence, just like the students at Parkland deserve to be protected from gun violence, just like the babies at Sandy Hook deserve to be protected from gun violence. So we'll devote more resources. We've added a presidential candidate who is also now protected," Swallwell said, referencing Kamala Harris.

"But if we're being honest with ourselves, we have armed this country to the teeth, and we have allowed the most dangerous people to have access to the most dangerous weapons," he continued.

"So we really need to step back and think if we allow these weapons to be in our country, can we truly protect our elected officials and can we truly protect, most importantly, our children in the next generation?" he added.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 12:36:46 -0400

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FBI Director Christopher Wray says the investigation into Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks has uncovered that he searched about the JFK assassination on the day he registered to attend Trump's July 13 campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"One of the things that I can share here today that has not been shared yet is that we've just in the last couple of days, found that from our... analysis of a laptop that the investigation ties to the shooter, reveals that on July 6th, he did a Google search for, quote, 'how far away was Oswald from Kennedy? And so that's a search that obviously is significant in terms of his state of mind," Wray said. "That is the same day that it appears that he registered for the Butler rally."

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 12:04:48 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday that the weapon that Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks used in the attack "had a collapsible stock, which could explain why it might have been less easy for people to observe."

"Because one of the things that we're finding is... the first people to observe him with the weapon were when he was already on the roof," Wray continued. "And we haven't yet found anybody with firsthand observation of him with the weapon walking around beforehand."

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 13:26:26 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray told House lawmakers that the FBI "did not have any information about the shooter" prior to the Trump assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.

"He was not in our holdings, before the shooting," Wray said about Thomas Matthew Crooks while answering a question from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

"We've run a thorough search, for this subject through all of our holdings. And he was not in them anywhere," Wray added.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:55:29 -0400

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FBI Director Christopher Wray, speaking about an Iranian plot to assassinate former President Trump, said "we for some time and I in particular for some time, have been calling out the efforts by the Iranian government to attempt to retaliate for the killing of [Iranian leader Qasem] Soleimani by going after, current or former prominent U.S. officials.

"And we've even had an indictment against it. And I think we need to recognize the brazenness of the Iranian regime, including right here in the United States. And I expect that we're going to see more of it," Wray continued.

"I'm not aware of any threat information related to protectees that wasn't, you know, passed in a timely way. But I can't really get into specifics here," he added.

"Any information related to threats against, the former president... we routinely share with Secret Service on a number of levels in a timely way," Wray also said.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:57:40 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday that it is "a dangerous time to be a prominent public official."

"I believe that former President Trump, really, frankly, like any president or former president, is a very high profile figure and attracts a lot of unfortunately the kind of threats that we have been talking about," he added during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting response.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:35:55 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray told the House Judiciary Committee that agents have recovered 14 firearms linked to Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks and his family.

"I think it was a total of, I think 14 in the house," Wray said.

"The weapon that he used for the attempted assassination, was, an AR-style rifle, that was purchased legally, that he, as is my understanding, acquired, I think bought, actually, from his father, who was the one who originally bought it, again, legally," Wray also said.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:32:44 -0400

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FBI Director Christopher Wray says his agency has "recovered three [explosive] devices, two, in his vehicle and one back in his residence" during the investigation into Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks.

"I would say these are relatively... crude devices themselves. But they did have the ability to be detonated remotely," he said.

"In addition to the two devices that we recovered out of his vehicle, there were receivers for those two explosive devices with the devices. And then on the shooter himself, when he was killed by law enforcement, he had a transmitter with him," Wray revealed.

"Now, I do want to add one important point here is that at the moment... it looks like because of the on on/off position on the receivers, that if he had tried to detonate those devices from the roof, it would not have worked," Wray added. "But that doesn't mean the explosives weren't dangerous."

Wray also said: "We have recovered a drone that the shooter appears to have used. It's being exploited and analyzed by the FBI lab. The drone was recovered in his vehicle. So at the time of the shooting the drone was in his vehicle with the controller."

Wray told the House Judiciary Committee that "it appears" Crooks was flying the drone about 200 yards away from the stage area of the Trump rally around 3:50 to 4 p.m. local time on the day of the shooting. Trump was hit with gunfire at 6:11 p.m. as the campaign event was underway.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:37:20 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray told House lawmakers Wednesday that there are no signs Thomas Matthew Crooks had any help with the Trump assassination attempt.

"Not at this time, but again, the investigation is ongoing," he said about the matter.

Wray also said the FBI has recovered "eight cartridges on the roof" following the shooting on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:33:25 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray, answering a question from Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., about "why doesn't the FBI disclose to the American people all of the investigative detail and evidence that you're gathering as it is gathered?" says his agency is trying to be transparent.

"We have tried to be transparent, with both Congress and the American people as we are going along in the investigation, frankly, unusually so for an ongoing investigation, given the sheer nature, of it," Wray said.

"But part of the issue, is that as like in any investigation, as we proceed, facts evolve, our understanding of what somebody said turns out to have more context that we didn't have before. We have additional leads out there," he continued.

"So part of our goal is not just to respect the ongoing investigation process, but also to make sure that we don't prematurely provide information that then, two days later, turns out to be different than what we told people," Wray added.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:52:01 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray told House lawmakers Wednesday that "I have been saying for some time now that we are living in an elevated threat environment and tragically, the Butler County assassination attempt is another example.

"A particularly heinous and very public one of what I've been talking about," he added.

"But it also reinforces our need at the FBI and our ongoing commitment to stay focused on the threats, on the mission and on the people we do the work with and the people we do the work for," Wray also said. "Every day, all across this country and indeed around the world, the men and women of the FBI are doing just that, working around the clock to counter the threats we face. 

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:27:23 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray said during his opening statement to the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday that there is a "lot of work to do" regarding the Trump rally shooting investigation and that "no stone" will be left unturned.

"I want to assure you and the American people that the men and women of the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to get to the bottom of what happened," Wray said. "We are bringing all the resources of the FBI to bear both criminal and national security. That is a whole lot of work underway, and still a lot of work to do. And our understanding of what happened and why will continue to evolve. We're going to leave no stone unturned. The shooter may be deceased, but the FBI's investigation is very much ongoing."

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:17:23 -0400

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., who has been a critic of former President Trump, said Wednesday that "regardless of my strong feelings about Donald Trump's behavior, I unequivocally and unabashedly condemn with every fiber of my being, the attempt against his life."

"Political violence erodes the very foundations of our nation. It consists of freedom of speech, of peaceful transition, of power. A democratic government at its core," he added. "These cannot exist if political violence is allowed to fester and to go unchecked."

He called the Trump rally shooting "an attack on our democracy."

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:19:07 -0400

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, opened the House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting response Wednesday by saying there are a "lot of unanswered questions" regarding the incident.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions about the security failures that day," Jordan said in his opening statement. "Questions about decisions made before the rally. Questions about actions during the rally and questions about statements made after the event concluded."

Jordan called the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13 a "tragedy" that took the life of volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, adding that "of course, former President Trump, by the grace of God, survived the assassination attempt. "

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 10:05:26 -0400

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FBI Director Christopher Wray has arrived Wednesday at the Rayburn House Office Building for a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting response.

On the way into the hearing room, Wray did not respond to multiple questions asked by Fox News Congressional Correspondent Aishah Hasnie on if he would be cooperative with lawmakers or if his agency has figured out the motive for the assassination attempt against former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 09:53:59 -0400

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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told ‘Fox & Friends’ on Wednesday that he thinks it’s “stunning” that authorities were using text messaging to coordinate their search for Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks. 

Rubio’s comment comes after Sen. Chuck Grassely, R-Iowa, posted a video on social media Tuesday showing law enforcement on the roof of a building in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Crooks was shot dead by snipers. 

"Beaver County sniper seen and sent the pictures out. This is him," one law enforcement officer tells another man, who appears to be a Secret Service agent, on the roof. 

“I think it’s stunning, that in an event like this, of the Republican nominee, a former president and someone we know is being targeted by foreign governments for assassination, I think it’s amazing that the way they were communicating with each other was taking pictures on a cell phone and distributing it to some sort of text messaging group,” Rubio said Wednesday. 

“This was a massive, systemic failure and we are lucky that the shooter was not some professionally trained assassin,” he added. “If it had been, we would have had a very different, much more tragic outcome.” 

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:46:26 -0400

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Body camera footage recorded during the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Trump showed law enforcement discussing how a sniper "lost sight" of gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks.

Sen. Chuck Grassely, R-Iowa, posted the three-minute video on social media Tuesday. The footage shows authorities on the roof of a building in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Crooks was shot dead by snipers. 

"Beaver County sniper seen and sent the pictures out. This is him," one law enforcement officer tells another man, who appears to be a Secret Service agent, on the roof. 

"Rifle's right there, obviously," another law enforcement officer says as he points at the weapon. 

The first law enforcement officer, whose body camera was recording, said the sniper who spotted Crooks was still in a building nearby, showing where the sniper was located.

"That’s the sniper who sent the original pictures and seen him come from the bike and then set the bag back down and then lost sight of him," the officer said. "He’s the one who sent the pictures out. I don’t know if you got the same ones I did…."

"I think I did, yeah," the man who appears to be a Secret Service agent replied. "He’s got his glasses on…." 

The footage was obtained from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, and Grassley posted it on X. Fox News Digital has blurred the image of the body. 

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:45:16 -0400

The Secret Service has recently encouraged former President Trump’s campaign to refrain from holding outdoor rallies with large crowds after a shooter nearly assassinated him during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, according to reports.

The Washington Post reported that three people familiar with the matter said Secret Service agents expressed their concerns to Trump campaign advisers after the Butler shooting.

All three people who spoke with the publication spoke on condition of anonymity.

On the advice, the Trump campaign is looking for indoor venues like basketball arenas and large indoor spaces that can hold thousands of people, the sources reportedly said. Trump’s campaign team is also not planning any large outdoor events anytime soon, the Washington Post reported.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:27:38 -0400

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EXCLUSIVE: House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is raising concerns about the security of U.S. and world leaders visiting here in the wake of the failed assassination attempt against former President Trump.

"Yeah, I mean, of course," McCaul told Fox News Digital when asked whether security lapses at Trump's Butler, Pennsylvania ,rally made him concerned about the level of security around President Biden as well. "I would say any [leader]… We've got Netanyahu coming down tomorrow. That's a good example."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday as his country continues to be at war in Gaza with the pro-Palestinian terror group Hamas.

Security preparations are already underway on Capitol Hill, with fencing being seen around the perimeter of the U.S. Capitol as early as Tuesday morning. 

But nevertheless, the deadly shooting at Trump's rally earlier this month, in which one attendee was killed and two people were critically injured, has spurred concerns and conversations about elected officials' safety. Trump himself was shot in the ear and evacuated by Secret Service agents.

McCaul said of possible tension at Netanyahu's coming address, "I mean, the ingredients are there for it. It's ripe for violence."

He cited the threat of protests by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, some of whom have consistently patrolled the Capitol complex in the wake of Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, confronting pro-Israel lawmakers on both sides. More than 300 protesters were arrested in late October of last year after occupying the Cannon House Office building during a protest.

That same Capitol office building saw a massive protest on Tuesday, just a day before Netanyahu's speech. Protesters occupied the Cannon building rotunda, chantinng and waving banners before dozens were arrested by police, some detained with zipties. Among the banners were messages reading, "Jews say: Stop the genocide."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Liz Elkind

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:16:34 -0400

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The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) should have "one set of standards," according to Republican Oklahoma Rep. Josh Brecheen.

Brecheen introduced a bill on Tuesday called the Secret Service Readiness Act that aims to create "a uniform fitness standard for Secret Service special agents and uniformed division officers" after the assassination attempt that wounded former President Trump at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.

"We believe that there ought to be one set of standards for Secret Service agents. There shouldn't be multiple different ways you can qualify based upon your sex or your political beliefs. If people who are being protected by [the] Secret Service – if they want the opportunity to let those who can't meet full historic standards on their details, let them handle it. Don't force it upon everybody else and potentially make them more vulnerable to an assassination attempt. There should be one set of standards."

Brecheen's comments come after the Oklahoma congressman, along with other bipartisan members of the House Committee on Homeland Security, on Monday visited the site of the rally to get a better idea of how shooter Thomas Crooks was able to open fire on the president from approximately 150 yards.

The assassination attempt and string of security failures or miscommunications that allowed Crooks to get on the roof of a nearby building and fire multiple rounds from an AR-15 at the former president and his rally attendees, killing one and critically wounding two others, has brought a magnifying glass to the Secret Service's recent diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that some experts have criticized as counterintuitive.

The USSS did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital regarding the new bill.

Former USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned Tuesday, was responsible for executing the agency’s integrated mission of "protection and investigations by leading a diverse workforce," according to the USSS agency website. Critics have accused Cheatle of prioritizing "woke" ideologies rooted in DEI instead of only focusing on hiring the best for the agency.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Audrey Conklin

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:54:38 -0400

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A top House Democrat who took part in a bipartisan walk-through of the Butler Farm Show grounds in Pennsylvania, where former President Trump was nearly assassinated, said law enforcement rank-and-file seem apprehensive to speak publicly about "who’s in charge."

Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., said officers who serve are "great people" and that breakdowns that led to the fatal event earlier this month prove interagency clarity in cooperation is badly lacking.

Correa praised Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris for being forthright during Tuesday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting. He added that local officials and law enforcement in the Butler area he met with Monday were equally admirable.

Correa said local agency members approached him during a private congressional walk-through and told him they needed to talk some more about what they saw on the ground.

"A couple of folks there kind of hinted to me that everybody locally is not comfortable going out and giving their opinion," he said. "But one individual said he’s not quite sure who was in charge.

"There was a local supervisor or council member who said that we need to talk some more. You guys (Congress) need to hear more about what happened and what didn't happen. They weren't here [in Washington]. We need to get their opinions and thoughts. Those are the people that were where the rubber meets the road, so to speak," he said.

Correa added that, comparatively speaking, the Secret Service is a small operation of around 3,600 agents, while Paris said the PSP employs about 6,000.

"The local police and state troopers really are force multipliers, and, in this case, there are some things you need to work on to fix the process," Correa said.

He said after the House hearing with Paris and his trip to Northwest Pennsylvania the best thing to do is go "back to the drawing board and really start kicking the tires in terms of guidance and Secret Service and what they do and how they address and work with local public safety agencies."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Charles Creitz

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:40:05 -0400

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Last month, Jake Paul said that former President Trump will most likely get his vote, and understandably so. He was rather emotional about the assassination attempt on the former president.

A gunman opened fire on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 during a rally, and a bullet clipped his right ear. Paul thinks it was by the grace of God that it was not worse.

"It's one of the craziest things I've ever seen and probably will ever see. I think there would have been a civil war if something would have hit him. But I think that's like the divine intervention, for sure. I believe that God stepped in and saved him," Paul said on his brother Logan's podcast, "Impaulsive," which Trum

"It's quite literally ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.' And I think that's also probably why God had this exact situation happen - because He saw the path that we were going down with," the YouTuber-turned-boxer added. 

"And I'm not even gonna say, like, it's Democrat-Republican, what does it matter? It's the people who are running the government now, the path that they were leading us to was gonna be catastrophic and terrible. And I think God really intervened, like, ‘we need this guy right now. Everyone needs to flip sides. We can't have a close election - we need a landslide. We need this guy to come back in and make America great again.'"p himself appeared on earlier this year.

"We saw the action of God right in front of our eyes," Logan responded.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Ryan Morik

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:01:40 -0400

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Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, told 'Fox & Friends First' that he hopes FBI Director Christopher Wray comes to the House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday with answers and “a plan to make us feel better about what the FBI is doing” in the wake of the Trump assassination attempt. 

“We have so many examples of mishandling of investigations, of corruption at the FBI, that my constituents and many of my colleagues as well are very suspect of whatever the FBI comes up with,” said Gooden, who is a member of the committee. “But it is my hope today that Director Wray will be forthcoming, he will answer the questions that we have for him, that he will slightly put our minds at ease if that is possible.” 

“It’s frankly appalling and embarrassing as a nation that we have such terrible security for our former and current presidents. I’ve got to believe that we can do better,” Gooden also said. 

“I want to know where we are currently, what information they have, what the plan is, what resignations are taking place, who is going to be held accountable, how this is not going to happen again,” Gooden added. “I don’t want any secrets. The American people are tired of tragedies and incidents taking place where we have questions and conspiracy theories for many years to come unanswered.” 

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:49:23 -0400

FBI Director Christopher Wray is set to testify this morning on Capitol Hill as lawmakers continue to hold hearings on the Trump rally shooting security response.

Wray will appear in front of the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing it says "will examine the FBI’s investigation into the assassination attempt against President Trump and the ongoing politicization of the nation's preeminent law enforcement agency under the direction of FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland."

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned from her position on Tuesday, a day after she testified in front of the House Oversight Committee. Lawmakers had criticized her responses to the Secret Service's handling of the Trump assassination attempt.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:46:52 -0400

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A top House Democrat who took part in a bipartisan walk-through of the Butler Farm Show grounds in Pennsylvania, where former President Trump was nearly assassinated, said law enforcement rank-and-file seem apprehensive to speak publicly about "who’s in charge."

Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., said officers who serve are "great people" and that breakdowns that led to the fatal event earlier this month prove interagency clarity in cooperation is badly lacking.

Correa praised Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris for being forthright during Tuesday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting. He added that local officials and law enforcement in the Butler area he met with Monday were equally admirable.

Correa said local agency members approached him during a private congressional walk-through and told him they needed to talk some more about what they saw on the ground.

"A couple of folks there kind of hinted to me that everybody locally is not comfortable going out and giving their opinion," he said. "But one individual said he’s not quite sure who was in charge.

"There was a local supervisor or council member who said that we need to talk some more. You guys (Congress) need to hear more about what happened and what didn't happen," he said.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:40:40 -0400

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Just over a week after Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, nearly assassinating former President Trump and killing firefighter Corey Comperatore, the 20-year-old's neighbors are grappling with the reality of the "evil' that lurked down the street. 

"That's sheer fear. If [Trump] had his head turned, he would've had his brains blown out, and that was manufactured around the corner from my house," said a neighbor who lives about the same distance from the Crooks home that the shooter was from the president when Crooks opened fire.

"There was such evil around the corner," she said Tuesday. "We're always going to have a scar from what happened and how close to us [it was]."

Another woman who regularly runs through the neighborhood said she passed Crooks in their quiet neighborhood several times over the summer. Despite her attempts to "look over and smile and say hello," he would "look up as though nobody had been passing him."

That woman said she was shocked when she heard the news of the shooting just 40 minutes away from her house. Things got even more "surreal" when she realized the perpetrator lived far closer to home than she thought.

"When I first thought about the shooter being in Butler, I thought, 'Wow, that's in my backyard.' It ended up being closer. All of a sudden, it's a neighbor," she said.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:26:14 -0400

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New video footage captured by a rally goer shows the assassination attempt on former President Trump before a sniper took out the shooter after he opened fire.

Jon Malis took the footage as he and his family watched the campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, next to the American Glass Research (AGR) building, which Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to scale to a clear line of sight to Trump, who suffered injuries to his ear from the shooting. One spectator was killed and several others were injured in the incident.

Crooks, 20, appeared to fire eight shots before he was killed by sniper fire.

"I noticed about two minutes before the shooting started, the people were starting to say, 'hey, he's climbing up here, he's crawling around, he's doing this, he's doing that," Malis told Fox News. "We just kind of ignored it because we thought it was some person trying to get a better view."

"I want to say three, then maybe five [rounds were heard]," he added. "And then I heard the two counter sniper rounds."

Fox News' Landon Mion and Bryan Llenas contributed to this report.