In a joint hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate disclosed unsettling information about the social media activity of Thomas Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
“Something just very recently uncovered that I want to share is a social media account which is believed to be associated with the shooter in about the 2019-2020 time frame,” Abbate told lawmakers.
The account contained over 700 comments, some of which were described as hateful and highly concerning.
“Some of these comments, if ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes to espouse political violence and are described as extreme in nature,” Abbate stated.
If confirmed to be Crooks’, these posts would have been made when he was 15 or 16 years old, providing potential insight into the development of his extremist views.
Abbate emphasized the ongoing nature of the investigation and that many questions remained.
“While the investigative team is still working to verify this account to determine if it did in fact belong to the shooter, we believe it important to share it today,” he told lawmakers.
The hearing also addressed significant security failures surrounding the July 13 assassination attempt.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, who replaced Kimberly Cheatle following her resignation, expressed deep regret over the security lapses.
“What I saw made me ashamed,” Rowe told the committee about his visit to the rally site. “As a career law enforcement officer, and a 25-year veteran with the Secret Service, I cannot defend why that roof was not better secured.”
Rowe also revealed that Crooks had flown a drone near the rally site before the attack, an action that went undetected due to malfunctioning detection systems — further highlighting the massive, historic extent of the Secret Service’s security breakdown.
As investigations continue, including efforts by multiple congressional committees and a new bipartisan task force, the focus remains on preventing future security lapses and addressing the ongoing threat of political violence as the 2024 election approaches.