It’s fairly obvious, at this point, that Thomas Crooks did not act alone.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, flew a drone over the Butler, Pennsylvania fairgrounds and captured aerial footage of the layout shortly before Trump took the stage at last Saturday’s rally.
NEW: Thomas Crooks was able to fly a drone over the Pennsylvania rally location before the event started according to the Wall Street Journal.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 20, 2024
So a 20-year-old would be assas*in can use a drone but not the Secret Service?
“The gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to… pic.twitter.com/RiHacRFjdc
The Wall Street Journal reported:
The gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds shortly before the former president was set to speak there, law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter said, further underscoring the stunning security lapses ahead of Trump’s near assassination.
Thomas Matthew Crooks flew the drone on a programmed flight path earlier in the day on July 13 to scour the Butler Farm Show grounds ahead of Trump’s ill-fated rally, the officials said. The predetermined path, the officials added, suggests Crooks flew the drone more than once as he researched and scoped out the event site.
Just to underscore how crazy this all is, I was once prevented flying MY OWN drone off of the beach at Mar-a-Lago by USSS because my father was inside the house…
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 20, 2024
Now we have one literally scouting his speech!!! 🤬 https://t.co/M3BAENqT4f
Here’s more from Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on this new information:
The gunman was able to fly a drone to scope out Trump rally before it started, but SS didn't have severance drone. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/XDzOoKMn1y
— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) July 20, 2024
Earlier reports indicated that Crooks had a rangefinder.
The Wall Street Journal and CNN previously reported that Crooks had explosives in his Hyundai Sonata, which was parked next to the rally.
Investigators found no online search history of Crooks researching how to assemble homemade explosives.
“It’s unclear how Crooks assembled the explosive devices found in his car. Investigators parsing through his online search history haven’t found any indication of him researching how to make home-made explosives, law enforcement officials said,” CNN reported.
Breaking Digest reported that the FBI discovered Crooks’ second cell phone at his home, which contained only 27 contacts, the Daily Mail reported.
Congressman Mike Waltz told Fox News host Jesse Watters that, according to an FBI briefing, Crooks had multiple encrypted accounts, with more details expected to emerge on Monday.
Rep. Waltz noted that Crooks had the overseas accounts during the same period that an Iranian assassination plot against Trump was reported.
He flew a drone. He had a range finder. He carried an AR-15 and a ladder over a mile.
— Robert Sterling (@RobertMSterling) July 19, 2024
You’re telling me this kid with the physique of a World of Warcraft addict somehow Jason Bourned an entire Secret Service detail?
Just doesn’t add up. pic.twitter.com/MCc4kuusdn
The so-called “security lapses” and circumstances surrounding the assassination attempt on Trump raise questions about how 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks managed to carry out this attack on his own.
