New questions are emerging about the FBI’s handling of Thomas Crooks, who nearly assassinated Donald Trump during a July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Although the FBI initially said little was known about Crooks, Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, claims crucial details were withheld. “We definitely got stonewalled,” Fallon said. “When we finally got answers that we thought were fully forthright, now it seems like they weren’t.”

Fallon’s task force concluded the shooting, in which a bullet grazed Trump’s ear, was preventable. He said investigators never shared that Crooks had made over 700 online posts between 2019 and 2020, many antisemitic or anti-immigrant. “They didn’t share any of the information with us,” Fallon said. “It was either deliberate or incompetence.” He plans to speak with House Oversight Chairman James Comer about recalling former FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.

Political commentator Tucker Carlson also accused the FBI of covering up Crooks’ online activity, saying he can “prove” the bureau misled the public. FBI Director Kash Patel defended the investigation, citing more than 1,000 interviews, 2,000 tips, 13 seized devices, nearly 500,000 digital files, and data from 25 online profiles.

Former FBI Special Agent Jody Weis criticized the bureau, saying Crooks “should have been detected” through his digital history, which could have revealed his motives and led to an interview before the attack.

The attack left 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore dead, and two others wounded. While Crooks’ motive remains unclear, the controversy over what the FBI knew and shared continues to spark political debate.