The FBI is pushing back on claims made by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, rejecting his assertion that the bureau “lied” about details surrounding Thomas Crooks, the would-be assassin who attempted to kill President Donald Trump in 2024. Carlson alleged the FBI falsely stated Crooks had “no online footprint,” and he promised to release evidence disproving that claim, Newsweek reported. The FBI Rapid Response account on X refuted Carlson’s accusation, stating, “This FBI has never said Thomas Crooks had no online footprint. Ever.”
More than a year after the July 13, 2024, shooting, relatively little information has been publicly released about Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who opened fire on Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks fired eight rounds from an AR-15-style rifle while positioned on a nearby rooftop, killing one audience member and injuring two others before grazing Trump’s ear. A member of the U.S. Secret Service Counter Sniper Team returned fire and killed Crooks within seconds.
The attack exposed major security failures and ultimately led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. An independent panel reviewing the incident later concluded the agency required “fundamental reform.” On Friday at 8:00 a.m. ET, Carlson posted a 35-minute video on X that he claimed contained material the FBI “has worked hard to make sure you haven’t seen.” The footage included a clip Carlson said came from Crooks’ Google Drive showing the gunman dry-firing a weapon in a room with paper targets taped to the wall.
Carlson said the video also highlighted Crooks’ alleged online activity, including YouTube comments and a range of digital accounts that may have belonged to him. Carlson relied on a source who he said used Crooks’ phone number to identify a Gmail address, two additional email accounts, and accounts on Snapchat, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, Discord, Google Play, Quizlet, Chess.com, and Quora. He argued these accounts demonstrated a “robust online presence,” which he said contradicted earlier statements from the FBI.
Carlson said the bureau asked whether he had verified the accounts, a response he described as “confusing” because “the authenticity is self-evident.” The FBI Rapid Response account noted that the bureau as it exists today is not the same leadership that existed under the Biden administration. The account was created in November 2025 and made its first post on November 13. It has roughly 22,500 followers, including FBI Director Kash Patel and multiple national reporters, suggesting it is official but relatively new.
Online users circulated a screenshot showing what appeared to be a Community Note attached to the FBI’s reply, but the note had apparently been removed. The screenshot referenced a July 2024 comment by former FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate, but that statement would not contradict the Rapid Response account’s claim that “this” FBI had never made such remarks. Carlson wrote on X on November 13 that the FBI claimed Crooks had no online footprint, adding, “The FBI lied, and we can prove it because we have his posts.” The FBI Rapid Response account replied on November 14, “This FBI has never said Thomas Crooks had no online footprint. Ever.”
