FBI Director Investigates Assassination Attempt on Former President Donald Trump
FBI Director Christopher Wray has stated that the agency will leave “no stone unturned” in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump earlier this month. During his opening remarks to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Wray described the shooting at Trump’s rally on July 13 in Pennsylvania as “an attack on our democracy and our democratic process.”
“We will not tolerate political violence of any kind, especially such a despicable event of this magnitude,” he said. “And I assure you and the American people that the men and women of the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to get to the bottom of what happened.”
Wray’s remarks came a day after US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following extensive criticism of the security protocols employed during Trump’s rally. The former president and current Republican presidential candidate was shot in the ear by an assailant, who witnesses said had taken position on a rooftop with a direct line of sight to the rally stage. One rally attendee was killed, and two others were seriously injured during the event.
The FBI has stated that it is investigating the shooting as a “domestic terrorism act” and an assassination attempt. However, the agency has yet to determine the motive of the alleged shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, which has prompted questions from lawmakers about the investigation.
On Wednesday morning, Wray informed lawmakers that the FBI had found a drone in Crooks’ vehicle. He indicated that the agency believes the alleged shooter operated the drone approximately 180 meters from the rally stage before the event began.
“We will not leave any stone unturned. The shooter may be deceased, but the FBI’s investigation is ongoing,” said the director.
Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, stated at the beginning of the hearing that there were still unanswered questions, including why all buildings near the rally stage were not secured.
“We hope to learn more today from Director Wray about the shooter: his use of the drone, the explosives found in his car, how he got on the roof, and a number of other questions,” Jordan said. “It is our hope that Director Wray’s testimony can begin to provide answers to the American people regarding these questions and concerns.”
Representative Jerry Nadler, the panel’s top Democrat, condemned the assassination attempt on Trump as “unqualified and outrageous,” while pointing to years of political threats and violent rhetoric from Republicans, including Trump himself.
“If you believe that this lone gunman’s bullet was an out-of-the-blue incident and not part of a wave of violence that has threatened this nation for years, then you have misunderstood the point,” Nadler stated.
The FBI has largely avoided the same level of scrutiny directed at the Secret Service for security measures preceding the shooting at Trump’s rally. However, some American lawmakers have expressed skepticism regarding the FBI’s assessment that Crooks left no obvious ideological motive that could explain his actions.
The FBI Director has long faced opposition from hardline Republicans, some of whom are upset over the arrests of Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, while Congress was certifying Biden’s electoral victory over Trump in 2020.