FBI Refutes Tucker Carlson Allegations About Attempted Trump Assassin
22/09/2025 02:33
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 had alleged that 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. “This FBI has never said Thomas Crooks had no online footprint. Ever,” the account wrote.
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, “The FBI told us Thomas Crooks tried to kill Donald Trump last summer but somehow had no online footprint. The FBI lied, and we can prove it because we have his posts. The question is why? Story tomorrow.”
The FBI Rapid Response account replied on November 14, “This FBI has never said Thomas Crooks had no online footprint. Ever.”
Breaking: Barack Obama Just Confirmed in Washington, D.C. — Details Emerging
In a development that is quickly drawing attention across the country, Barack Obama has just been confirmed in an announcement made in Washington, D.C., according to early reports. The confirmation, which occurred only moments ago, has sparked widespread interest as officials and observers wait for more details about the situation.
Initial information suggests that the announcement was made during a briefing in the nation’s capital, where officials confirmed the update involving the former president. While the full context of the confirmation is still unfolding, the news has already begun circulating rapidly through political circles and media outlets.
Barack Obama, who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017, remains one of the most influential po
litical figures in modern American politics. Any official confirmation involving him tends to generate immediate public and media attention, both domestically and internationally.
Sources close to the situation say additional statements may be released soon, which could clarify the nature of the confirmation and what it could mean moving forward. Analysts are already speculating about possible implications, though officials have urged the public to wait for verified information.
For now, the announcement from Washington, D.C. marks a developing story. More updates are expected as authorities and representatives provide further details in the coming hours.
In a dramatic new court filing, Ghislaine Maxwell has claimed that at least 25 alleged accomplices connected to Jeffrey Epstein quietly reached “secret settlements” related to abuse allegations — yet were never criminally charged.
The filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, argues that newly discovered evidence reveals previously undisclosed agreements between plaintiff attorneys and multiple men who, according to Maxwell, could be considered co-conspirators in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.
“New evidence reveals that there were 25 men with whom the plaintiff lawyers reached secret settlements — that could equally be considered as co-conspirators,” Maxwell wrote in documents filed without the assistance of her legal team.
Maxwell, 63, is currently serving a 20-year federal sentence following her 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges. In her latest submission, she maintains that prosecutors failed to disclose crucial information that could have altered the outcome of her trial.
“None of these men have been prosecuted and none has been revealed to me,” Maxwell wrote. “Had I known, I would have called them as witnesses.”
She further contends that the alleged concealment of these settlements — along with what she describes as jury bias — deprived her of a fair trial. According to Maxwell, if jurors had been informed of what she characterizes as “collusion” between government officials and civil attorneys, they may have reached a different verdict.
The filing also claims that four former employees of Epstein were referenced in both a prior non-prosecution agreement and the federal indictment he faced before his death in 2019, yet none of those individuals were ultimately charged.
The possibility that additional accomplices remain unidentified has reignited public scrutiny surrounding the Epstein case. Questions persist about whether the names of those who allegedly reached private settlements will ever be fully disclosed — particularly as federal authorities continue reviewing millions of pages of case-related documents.
To date, only Epstein and Maxwell have faced federal criminal charges directly tied to the sex-trafficking network. Others associated with Epstein have confronted civil lawsuits but have denied wrongdoing.
Among the most high-profile figures accused in civil proceedings was Prince Andrew, who was sued by Virginia Giuffre over allegations of sexual abuse when she was a minor. Prince Andrew has consistently denied the claims and later reached a financial settlement without admitting liability.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed that hundreds of attorneys are reviewing an estimated 5.2 million pages of documents connected to the Epstein investigation. Officials say the review process is complex and requires extensive redactions to protect victims’ identities.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in December that the review is an “all-hands-on-deck” effort, emphasizing that victim protection remains a top priority even as pressure mounts for greater transparency.
It remains unclear whether the 25 men referenced in Maxwell’s filing negotiated any agreements with federal prosecutors or whether their settlements were strictly civil in nature. Legal experts note that civil settlements do not automatically shield individuals from criminal liability — though non-prosecution agreements can.
Maxwell’s filing is widely viewed as part of her broader legal strategy to challenge her conviction. Whether the court will grant further hearings or consider the alleged new evidence remains to be seen.
The renewed claims have once again thrust the Epstein scandal into the national spotlight, raising persistent questions about accountability, transparency, and whether all those involved in the long-running abuse network have truly been brought to justice.
As document reviews continue and appeals move forward, the case remains one of the most controversial and closely watched criminal sagas in recent American history.