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It’s been a few weeks since Donald Trump was the subject of an “assassination attempt,” and though many questions and conspiracy theories still surround the incident, it doesn’t seem like we’ll have any actual answers about it anytime soon.
On Wednesday (July 24), FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before House lawmakers about what they’ve learned about the alleged attempt on Trump’s life. It seems like they’re no closer to getting a motive today than they were when it happened. Still, the head of the FBI did inform lawmakers on some interesting new information about the shooter, Thomas Crooks, and what he had been up to before he “lined up” Trump at his rally on July 13.
According to CBS News, Wray revealed that Crooks actually used a drone to scope out the area beforehand and that he may have had a collapsible stock, which made it easier for him to move with his rifle without being noticed. Though they did recover his laptop and learned that he googled “how far away was Oswald from Kennedy,” Wray says they’re still trying to decrypt messages on his phone to see who he was talking to and how deep this assassination attempt goes.
CBS News reports:
Investigators have managed to gain access to Crooks’ phone, which Wray said was a “significant technical challenge.” He said agents discovered Crooks was using encrypted messaging apps to communicate.
The FBI, which is investigating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism, does not yet have “a clear picture” of the gunman’s motive, Wray said. But investigators did find that Crooks seemed to become “very focused on” Trump and the rally on July 6.
The most interesting aspect about all of this is that people who knew Crooks said he and his family were die-hard Trump supporters and MAGA enthusiasts and he was actually bullied for it in school. One has to wonder, why would a MAGA supporter want to suddenly take out his hero? But Crooks wasn’t only going to rely on his firearm as it seems he came prepared for all kinds of chaos.
The FBI director said the bureau recovered a total of three explosive devices, two from Crooks’ vehicle and one from his residence. He called the devices “relatively crude” explosives. He said the explosives had receivers that could have allowed them to be detonated remotely. Crooks himself had a transmitter, Wray noted.
“At a moment, it looks like because of the on/off position on the receivers, that if he had tried to detonate those devices from the roof, it would not have worked, but that doesn’t mean the explosives weren’t dangerous,” Wray said.
It might be a while before we know what drove Thomas Crooks to attempt to “assassinate” his hero, Donald Trump, but until then the conspiracy theories will continue to fly. And Trump will continue to profit off the scratch left on his ear.
What do y’all think about the Trump assassination attempt? Let us know in the comments section below.
