FBI Director Kash Patel Dismisses Tucker Carlson’s Claims About Trump’s Would-Be Assassin, Thomas Crooks

FBI Director Kash Patel pushed back Friday against allegations made by Tucker Carlson, who accused the bureau of covering up key information about Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump in July 2024.

Carlson, host of The Tucker Carlson Show, claimed on his broadcast that Crooks left behind a disturbing digital trail—one that included violent threats and signs of political radicalization well before the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. He suggested the FBI was concealing or ignoring this evidence and questioned the bureau’s portrayal of Crooks as a “lone wolf.”

Patel, in a detailed post on X, directly addressed the claims. He said the investigation into Crooks was one of the most expansive in bureau history, involving:

• Over 480 FBI personnel

• More than 1,000 interviews

• Review of 2,000+ public tips

• Forensic analysis of 13 seized digital devices

• Scrutiny of nearly 500,000 digital files

• Hundreds of hours of video footage

• Investigations into 10 financial accounts

• Examination of 25 social media and forum accounts

According to Patel, the investigation found Crooks “had limited online and in-person interactions,” planned the assassination attempt alone, and “did not leak or share his intent” with anyone. “We found no credible evidence that Crooks was part of a larger conspiracy,” Patel wrote.

The bureau’s new “rapid response” account on X also corrected Carlson’s claim that the FBI said Crooks had “no online footprint,” calling it a misrepresentation.

Carlson, however, cited material from Crooks’ alleged Google Drive and YouTube accounts, including posts dating back to 2019 and 2020. He described the content as “a detailed digital trail of violent threats,” asserting the gunman had previously made assassination threats against political figures and showed signs of escalating instability. Carlson further noted that Crooks had initially supported Trump, but “radically turned” on him during the pandemic.

“Thomas Crooks came within a quarter inch of destroying this country, and yet, a year and a half later, we still know almost nothing about him or why he did it,” Carlson said. “That’s because, for some reason, the FBI doesn’t want us to know.”

While Crooks’ motives remain officially undetermined, his attack—firing from a rooftop less than 200 yards from Trump’s rally stage—left the president wounded, two others seriously injured, and firefighter Corey Comperatore dead. Crooks was killed moments later by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

As of now, the FBI has not released a full public report on Crooks’ motive, but Director Patel’s post suggests the bureau is standing firmly by its lone-actor conclusion. Whether Carlson’s explosive claims will prompt a new round of scrutiny remains to be seen.