Trump on Crooks Probe
Former US President Donald Trump has announced that federal investigators have uncovered nothing "abnormal" about Thomas Matthew Crooks, the person who tried to assassinate him at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
Trump made this statement during a press conference with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Washington on Tuesday. In reaction to a journalist who noted that there had been no public data for Crooks, particularly compared to a recent viral show in a Coldplay concert, Trump acknowledged that he, too, had observed the disparity.
I think it's an interesting world in which we learn more about two individuals at a Coldplay show hours after that viral video than we learn about Thomas Crooks a year after trying to assassinate you. What is slowing down the investigation on Thomas Crooks?" the reporter inquired.
Trump answered, "They've reported things back to me, and they say that they haven't found anything that unusual.
He then praised the prompt action of the Secret Service during the incident but criticized certain areas of their security procedure.
I would say this: The Secret Service was very courageous because they, you know, they were there right with me, and they jumped on me. They made an error. They should've had someone on that roof, and they should've communicated with the local police, who also, I mean, they did a very good job, but they made some errors," Trump said.
Crooks discharged eight rounds from the top of a building above Trump's rally that day. A bullet grazed Trump's ear and another fatally shot a spectator. Crooks was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper in short order.
The investigations later found Crooks to be a nursing home worker who held an associate degree in engineering science. He was also a member of a local shooting club for more than a year.
Trump Describes Crooks as a "Nut-Job."
Despite the brutality of the act, Trump brushed aside Crooks' intentions as lacking an overarching conspiracy.
"Just a nut-job wanting to do this," Trump said. "Anything can happen, but I think we have the best people anywhere in the world right now. I think they've learned."
While the concern remains over transparency of the investigation and readiness of federal agencies, Trump's remarks have already fueled controversy surrounding the safety of public figures in high-stakes political activities.
