New Documents Reveal Details About Trump Assassination Attempt Suspect Thomas Crooks

Newly released documents reviewed by some news outlets provided new details about Thomas Crooks, who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump on the campaign trail in 2024.

The Details: Fox News (Right bias) and New York Post (Right) said they reviewed federal documents reportedly showing that Crooks used the alias "Bob Dole" to purchase suspicious items and that an anonymous donor paid for Crooks to be cremated.

Trump: Following the reports, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social saying:

Everyone knows the Crooked Joe Biden FBI didn't do what they should have with respect to the Lunatic who shot me in Butler, PA. By the time I got into Office, on January 20^th, 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. Dirty Cop Christopher Wray should pay a price for the way he handled this assassination attempt, and certainly for the things he said.

"Without Evidence": Some outlets on the left like ABC News (Lean Left) highlighted Trump's post while saying "Trump did not offer any evidence to back up his extraordinary claim of the assassination attempt being part of a broader plot." USA Today (Lean Left) said Trump's allegation was "without evidence" and "stand[s] in contrast to conclusions announced by FBI Director Kash Patel and former Deputy Director Dan Bongino."

"Swift Cremation": The Daily Wire (Right) highlighted the "mysterious" nature of an anonymous donor being responsible for Crooks' cremation. The article also noted that the "swift cremation caused controversy among some lawmakers who argued that the body was destroyed before a complete examination could be conducted."

"Latest Part Of A Legal War": Politico (Lean Left) called Trump's post the "latest part of a legal war he and his administration have waged against former officials whom he perceived had wronged him during his first term and time out of office." To back this statement up, the article mentioned that Trump "called for a criminal investigation into Wray over false claims that FBI agents were involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the capitol."

"More Questions Than Answers": Some outlets on the right, like Blaze Media (Right), highlighted details of the report showing that according to Crooks' father, Matthew Crooks, Thomas was "emotionless from birth" and had more recently "started talking to himself." The article called the details "chilling." Other outlets like Fox News said the "motive is still a mystery," while the New York Post said the new files "raise more questions than answers."

Not The First: This is the latest batch of new evidence to surface regarding Crooks. In November of 2025, emerging reports revealed details around Crooks' digital footprint and sparked a media debate about a controversy surrounding the FBI's handling of the case.

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