Judicial Watch: FBI Records Reveal Altercation at Trump Rally Site before Shooting

‘Crooks Was Making “Hateful” Comments Toward Trump’

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it forced the release of 27 heavily redacted pages from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit that show that would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks was reportedly involved in an altercation with a group of people and making “hateful comments” directed at President Trump at the Butler, PA, rally site before the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt.

Judicial Watch filed the July 2025 lawsuit after the FBI failed to respond to a July 2024 FOIA request (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:25-cv-02216)). Judicial Watch asked for:

All records, including but not limited to, investigative reports, interview summaries (Forms 1023), letterhead memoranda, photos, audio/visual recordings, database inquiries, interagency communications, and any other records, whether contained in the Central Records System or cross-referenced files, related to Thomas Matthew Crooks, born September 20, 2003 in Butler Township, PA and died on July 13, 2024, who attempted the assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024.

All records of communication in any form, including but not limited to emails, text messages, encrypted app communications and voice recordings, between FBI officials and/or FBI sources, contractors, and assets on the one hand, and Thomas Matthew Crooks on the other hand.

A July 17 FD-302 investigative report states that a woman who attended the Trump rally was interviewed by the FBI and reported that Crooks “had an altercation with a group of people in the area [where the woman was standing] prior to the shooting.” The witness continued that “she observed Crooks climbing the building a short time after the interaction.”

The report shows that another rally attendee interviewed by agents said he also heard the altercation involving Crooks at the rally. The report states, “[Redacted] reported just before Donald Trump came on the stage, CROOKS was making ‘hateful’ comments toward Trump. [Redacted] wasn’t sure if Crooks was filming the event or speaking with someone on his cell phone.”

A July 17 FD-302 investigative report shows that a woman contacted the National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) to report that she had attended the Trump rally in Butler and that she had seen a “suspicious individual” at the rally who was acting “very nervous” in the parking lot and she took a picture of the license plate of his Hyundai vehicle.

The records include a July 17 FD-302 investigative report in which a deputy with the Butler Sheriff’s Office, whose name is redacted, tells investigators she was assigned the Trump rally two days before the event and was provided a map of the rally grounds one day prior to the event. The report states:

No other formal briefings were provided. [Redacted] asked [redacted] what the role of posts 3, 4, 5, and 6 were? she was told that those posts were to monitor and make sure the fence line remained secure. [Redacted] was not involved with any of the planning for the rally. [Redacted] was not briefed on the use of deadly force prior to the event.

[Redacted] was not familiar with the Butler Farm Show grounds prior to the rally. [Redacted] arrived at approximately 10:40 am and [redacted] personally drove her to her post. No other ops plans were given to [redacted] position was between the two fence lines with the rally site behind her. [Redacted] could see the front and left sides of the AGR building. [Redacted] had no field of view to the right or back sides of the structure. [Redacted] was unaware of any law enforcement presence at/in the AGR building. [Redacted] didn’t anticipate having any people gather at the AGR building. [Redacted] was surprised that there ended up being approximately 100 in that area. [Redacted] confirmed that the group of people were on the opposite side of the fence line from her position. [Redacted] reported that she and a PSP [Pennsylvania State Police] trooper had to address a few problems “a few hours” before the arrival of Trump.

[Redacted] did state that it was at times difficult to discern what agency was talking on the radio.

At some point prior to the arrival of Trump, [redacted] recalled hearing radio traffic from Sgt. [redacted] on the sheriff’s channel requesting officers to be on the lookout (BOLO) for a man on a bike with long hair, grey shirt, backpack and possibly wearing a hat. [Redacted] asked why they were looking for this male and was told that he was seen with a range finder. [Redacted] had received a photo of the subject via text from Sgt. [redacted] at 5:53 pm. [Redacted] never received information from the crowd regarding the BOLO subject. [Redacted] heard someone on the radio saying, “long gun”. [Redacted] repeated “long gun” on the sheriff’s channel. [Redacted] was in the process of going towards Post 5 to share the photo with PSP when the shots were fired. [Redacted] estimated 5-6 rounds fired. [Redacted] believed the shots came from in front of her at the AGR building. [Redacted] immediately exited her vehicle, withdrew her firearm and was prepared to engage any threat that she saw. [Redacted] was still between the fence lines, so she was unable to move towards the AGR building. [Redacted] did not engage any further enforcement actions.

[Redacted] confirmed that the BCSO [Butler County Sheriff’s Office] is not outfitted with body worn cameras (BWC). [Redacted] did not take any photos or videos from personal devices.

No other media outlets or law enforcement agencies have reached out to [redacted] other than the PSP and FBI. This is the first statement she has provided regarding the shooting at the Trump rally.

A July 17 FD-302 investigative report shows the FBI interviewed a member of the Beaver County Sheriff’s Department’s Emergency Services Unit who was working at the rally. The interview subject reports “that his team did not have communication with the United States Secret Service (USSS) and does not know if USSS was present at the 0900 [9 a.m.] operations order brief.” Further, “his team did not have communications with PSP [Pennsylvania State Police] or [Secret Service] during the event.”

A heavily redacted July 17 FD-302 report shows that its analysts determined that Crooks registered for the Trump rally in Butler on July 6, 2024:

[Crooks], DOB September 20, 2003, registered for the July 13, 2024, Trump Campaign Rally on July 6, 2024, at 5:31 p.m. with the phone number [redacted] from the ZIP code 15102. He completed the two step authentication, validating that he was a real person, with the email address (bcook@mailfence.com). CROOKS requested one ticket for the event. The Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with his registration was [redacted] and conducted by a Virtual Private Network (VPN) associated with a New York area IP address.

According to the [redacted] CROOKS did not register for any other Trump Campaign Rallies and did not provide any campaign financing.

“It should not have taken two years and a federal lawsuit to find out that the Butler shooter was involved in an altercation with Trump supporters and made hateful comments towards Trump at the Butler rally minutes before he nearly killed Trump. These new FBI documents are disturbing and astonishing, detailing more conduct by the shooter that should have gotten the attention of Secret Service,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

In February 2026, this lawsuit forced the release of the first FBI documents (37 heavily redacted pages) about the Butler assassination attempt.

In December 2025, Judicial Watch sued the U.S. Secret Service for communications records related to Code Pink protesters who disrupted a dinner held by President Trump at a restaurant in Washington, DC, on September 9, 2025 (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:25-cv-04408)).

In September 2025, Judicial Watch filed a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for messages among top leaders of the Federal Bureau of Investigation referencing social media posts of Special Agent Jeffrey Veltri, head of the Miami Field Office, which is investigating the September 15 assassination attempt against Donald Trump (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:24-cv-02740)).

In March 2025, Judicial Watch sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for records related to security provided for the July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, PA (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:25-cv-00704)). 

In August 2024, Judicial Watch uncovered documents from the district attorney’s office in Butler County, PA, detailing the extensive preparation of local police for the rally at which former President Trump was shot. The preparation included sniper teams, counter assault teams and a quick response force.

In August 2024, in response to a separate open records request, Judicial Watch obtained bodycam footage of the July 13 assassination events from the Butler Township Police Department.

In August 2024, following up on reports that the Biden Secret Service denied Trump’s requests for additional Secret Service protection, Judicial Watch filed a FOIA lawsuit for Secret Service and other records regarding potential increased protective services to Trump’s security detail prior to the attempt on his life at his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, PA (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:24-cv-02495)).

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Source: https://www.judicialwatch.org/altercation-at-trump-rally-site/