Full Breakdown
Trump’s “Democrat Plot” Claim Meets New FBI Details on Butler Assassination Attempt
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On July 13, 2024, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a rooftop at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Eight shots were fired; one grazed Trump’s right ear, one killed attendee Corey Comperatore, and two others were injured. A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks moments later.
Two years later, on September 15, 2026, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the FBI had uncovered “new information” about Crooks’s background, without providing specifics. The announcement came hours after Trump posted on Truth Social that the FBI had “missing, altered, corrupted” information and that the shooting was a “Democratic Plot” to remove him from the election.
Background & Context
The Butler shooting was investigated as an attempted assassination and potential domestic terrorism case. Federal investigators compiled roughly 600 pages of interviews with Crooks’s family, classmates, and teachers, and examined over 500,000 electronic files, including 13 devices and 35 online accounts. The FBI concluded in November 2025 that Crooks acted alone, finding no evidence of foreign or organizational direction.
Data & Statistics
- Casualties: 1 dead, 2 injured, Trump grazed in the ear.
- Shooter profile: Engineering student from Bethel Park; practiced long-range shooting at Clairton Sportsmen’s Club; purchased rifle parts online under the pseudonym “Bob Dole.”
- Investigation scope: 485 FBI employees, >1,000 interviews, >2,000 tips, >10 search warrants, >100 subpoenas; 13 devices, 35 accounts, >500,000 files reviewed.
Official Statements & Responses
- Attorney General Todd Blanche said the FBI “produced… new information” in response to a Senate inquiry and noted his ongoing frustration with the bureau.
- President Donald Trump asserted that the Biden-era FBI “missed” or “altered” evidence and that former FBI Director Christopher Wray “should pay a price” for the handling of the case.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Blanche’s claim of “new information” contrasts with the FBI’s 2025 conclusion that Crooks acted alone. The nature of the new details remains undisclosed; a reviewer noted they include Crooks’s use of the “Bob Dole” alias for ordering rifle parts and that an anonymous donor paid for his cremation.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It is new information about the shooter and about his background, about his history and that stuff that we didn't know before,” — Attorney General Todd Blanche
- “We have reviewed this case over and over — looked into every nugget. We have spoken to the families, the president — there is no cover-up here.” — Dan Bongino, FBI deputy director
- “By the time I got into Office, on January 20th, most of the information was missing, altered, corrupted, or gone. New info was just found! Why wasn’t it seen long ago? This was all a Democrat Plot, to get me out of the Election, that failed.” — Donald Trump
These statements capture the divergent narratives: the administration’s allegation of a partisan plot versus the FBI’s attribution of sole responsibility to the lone gunman. The release of additional documents may shed further light, but the official record continues to maintain that Crooks acted independently, while President Trump promotes a contested conspiracy theory.