More than two years after Donald Trump was shot during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, questions remain about the investigation into the attack and the handling of evidence by federal authorities. The incident, which occurred on July 13, 2024, involved 20-year-old Thomas Crooks opening fire on the former president, striking Trump in the right ear, killing volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore, and injuring two others. Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper moments after the attack.
Trump has expressed frustration over what he describes as a lack of transparency and incomplete handling of the case by the FBI under then-director Christopher Wray. In a recent statement, Trump alleged that crucial information about the investigation was missing or corrupted when he took office in January 2025.
New details released as part of an ongoing inquiry led by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have added to the controversy. Among the revelations is that an anonymous donor covered the cost of Crooks’ cremation, which some lawmakers argue hampered further investigative efforts by destroying physical evidence. Representative Clay Higgins (R-La.), a member of the House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, called the cremation “obstruction” and said he was informed of it only a week after he sought to review the body.
The FBI has stated that these documents are not new, that the information has been fully investigated, and that the files were provided to both the White House and the Senate Judiciary Committee months ago. However, the FBI declined to provide specific details about the donor or any investigation into their identity or motives.
The case has also drawn criticism for delays in the release of records under Freedom of Information requests. Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton sued the FBI after repeated refusals to provide documents, noting that the agency’s slow pace could delay full disclosure for over a decade. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) echoed concerns, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive public accounting to prevent similar attacks.
Interviews disclosed in the latest document release detail conversations with Crooks’ father, Matthew Crooks, who revealed his son’s increasing obsession with firearms and cybersecurity prior to the attack. Two months before the shooting, Matthew had attempted to restrict his son’s access to guns but ultimately gave him the weapon hours before the rally.
The Butler event was the first time Trump received counter-sniper protection following a classified intelligence briefing on a purported Iranian plot against him. While the security presence prevented further casualties, investigations have highlighted significant security lapses by the Secret Service on that day. A local police officer reportedly fired a shot that disabled Crooks’ rifle, helping to end the attack.
Federal investigators, including FBI Director Kash Patel during a recent Senate Oversight Committee hearing, have maintained that Crooks acted alone and had virtually no contact with others except his parents. Despite this, questions remain as to why the FBI communicated with at least one foreign government during the investigation, a topic that was not addressed in-depth by senators during the hearing.
With Senator Grassley nearing the end of his chairmanship, and the prospect of Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse assuming the role if his party gains control after midterm elections, some Republican lawmakers warn that transparency could suffer. Families affected by the attack and the broader public continue to seek a full account of the events and the extent of any potential information withheld in the investigation.