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The FBI has confirmed that it will interview Former President Donald Trump related to an attempted assassination on his life.
What’s the deal: Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, stated that interviewing former President Donald Trump is a routine part of the FBI’s process for handling crime victims. He added that this approach is consistent with how the bureau would manage any crime victim in similar situations.
What we know: Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, has been characterized as an “intelligent” loner with an interest in weapons. Crooks planned the attack using a drone beforehand, though no footage from the drone was recovered. During the attempt, he positioned himself on a roof and fired eight shots 25 to 30 seconds after a local police officer attempted to confront him.
Digging deeper: The FBI discovered that Crooks had conducted extensive research on high-profile assassination attempts. His search history revealed inquiries into the attempted assassination of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Notably, about a week before he tried to kill Donald Trump, Crooks searched for “how far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” referencing Lee Harvey Oswald’s assassination of former President John F. Kennedy. Additionally, the FBI found that Crooks had taken significant measures to hide his activities, using encrypted apps that have complicated the investigation.
Criticism of the Secret Service: After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the US Secret Service faced severe criticism, leading to the resignation of its Director, Kimberly Cheatle.
