Americans are owed a full accounting of what motivated Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday.
"Those questions are definitely deserving of answers, and I understand why the public wants those answers, and I believe [President Donald Trump] does, too," Leavitt told "Pod Force One" host Miranda Devine when asked about the delayed FBI reveal on Crooks' online footprint.
"It's a good question, and it's one I'd like to see the answer to — and I think all Americans would."
The New York Post reported on a cache of online posts allegedly linked to Crooks — messages that openly endorsed political violence, expressed hostility toward Trump, and included self-descriptions using "they/them" pronouns.
Many of these digital breadcrumbs had not been disclosed publicly by federal authorities.
The Post's report detailed a series of previously unreported social media posts believed to have been authored by Crooks over several years.
The content raised concerns about whether the FBI missed or mishandled indicators of violent intent long before the July 13, 2024, shooting.
The attempted assassination left rallygoer Corey Comperatore dead and two Trump supporters critically injured.
Trump survived after famously dodging a bullet that hit him in the ear and defiantly raising a bloodied fist to the crowd as Secret Service evacuated him.
Sixteen months later, key questions remain unanswered:
– Did Crooks act alone, or did he have contact with foreign actors?
– Why did the FBI fail to identify or investigate Crooks' extremist rhetoric online?
– Has all evidence been turned over to Congress, or are there undisclosed materials?
– Did investigators locate Crooks' full digital history, or were significant posts overlooked?
Widely circulated images from the rally show Crooks on the rooftop of a nearby building in the minutes before opening fire. Another photo captures Trump being shielded by Secret Service agents as gunshots erupted.
The newly surfaced online activity has intensified bipartisan demands for transparency from federal law enforcement, particularly regarding what early red flags might have been detected — and why they were not.
While Leavitt emphasized the need for clarity, the White House has so far offered no new details about the status of ongoing investigations. Her comments suggest internal frustration that federal agencies have not provided a fuller picture of Crooks' motives.
"This is something people feel strongly about," she said. "Americans deserve to know why this happened."
Congressional committees continue to press for more information as pressure mounts on the FBI to explain its handling of the case.
Newsmax writer Eric Mack contributed to this report.
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