FBI Works To Shut Down Online Theories About Thomas Crooks: ‘We Are Very Confident’
The FBI is pushing back hard against a surge in online speculation surrounding Thomas Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill President Donald Trump in 2024. Top officials, including Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Director Kash Patel, say they’ve found no evidence of a broader plot — and no indication Crooks was aided, inspired, or influenced by any foreign entity, domestic group, or second actor.
FBI: Crooks Acted Alone
Speaking with Fox News, Bongino said unequivocally: “It is the FBI’s conclusion that Crooks acted alone.” The Bureau claims it reviewed over 2,000 public tips, conducted more than 1,000 interviews, executed ten search warrants, and issued over 100 subpoenas in what they describe as one of the most extensive domestic investigations in recent memory.
Officials say Crooks left no manifesto and no trail of communication suggesting a wider conspiracy.
Full Access to Devices and Accounts
Patel emphasized that the FBI has “accessed every single account and device,” including foreign-based email accounts Crooks maintained in Germany and Belgium. The devices of family members were also analyzed. “There has been reporting to inappropriately and incorrectly state that there was encryption the FBI was not able to get into — that is not true,” an FBI official stated.
They said claims that the FBI failed to access encrypted material were “categorically false.”
Debunking Antifa and Tepes Theories
Addressing rumors linking Crooks to an Antifa-adjacent figure named William Tepes, officials confirmed that Crooks and Tepes never directly communicated. Tepes merely commented on a YouTube video Crooks posted. “There was no direct messaging, no coordination, no link,” Patel said.
Briefing Trump and Responding to Skeptics
Bongino and Patel confirmed they briefed President Trump personally at the White House, providing him with the full scope of the investigation. “The president was satisfied with the results,” Patel said.
Bongino also addressed accusations that the FBI is covering something up: “I would ask the public — what motivation would Kash Patel and I, both close personal friends of the president, have to hide information from him?” he said. “There is no reason I would tell you otherwise.”
FBI Calls Out Online Grifters
Patel and Bongino warned the public about opportunists online, accusing influencers of monetizing the controversy for profit. “Many people make a lot of money on social media pushing conspiracy theories for clicks,” Patel said. “That is a fact.”
Ongoing Transparency with Congress
Patel also pushed back against allegations from Capitol Hill that the FBI withheld information. “All of this stuff doesn’t exist,” he said. “The very limited information we have not turned over is related to victim privacy. There’s no trove of hidden documents.”
Both men said they understand public frustration but asked for reason. “We sympathize with you,” Bongino said. “But yes — it was just him.”