Marjorie Taylor Greene Presses Questions After Thomas Crooks Killed in Butler, Pennsylvania Attack

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump during a campaign speech in Butler, Pennsylvania on 13 July 2024 has continued to generate new political and online disputes, with Marjorie Taylor Greene pushing questions about the circumstances of the attack.

“Trump soigne son image de survivant : comment ne pas pousser le bouchon trop loin Deux jours après avoir échappé à une tentative d’assassinat, le candidat Donald Trump cherche à se poser en réunificateur”

France 24

Greene, an ex-Congresswoman and a former ally of Trump, posted on X that “President Trump, of all people, should be leading the charge” to uncover the “full truth,” and added, “Why isn’t he?” “That’s the question.”

France 24

The Times of India described the shooting as taking place when a gunman opened fire during Trump’s speech, with the suspected shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks “shot dead by a Secret Service sniper right after he fired several shots towards the president.”

The same article said “A bullet grazed Trump’s ear,” and that local volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed while shielding his family.

France 24 reported that Trump shouted “Fight, fight, fight!” just after being targeted by gunfire in Pennsylvania, and said the next day he opted for “Unite” in an interview with the New York Post.

In parallel, The Independent said Greene told followers, “I’m not calling the Butler assassination a hoax,” while insisting, “there are a lot of questions that deserve public answers,” including asking why Trump would not release information about Matthew Crooks.

Greene’s renewed questions about the Butler attack were tied to a repost she amplified from Trisha Hope, described in multiple reports as a Texas delegate and a “J6 Activist.”

The Independent said Greene amplified a conspiracy theory posted by Hope, who described herself as a “J6 Activist,” and claimed Trump has “show[n] no interest in investigating what really happened.”

Le HuffPost

The Independent also quoted Greene’s own framing, including “Corey Comperatore’s wife and daughters deserve to know why Corey, a true American patriot and hero was murdered in Butler,” and asked, “Where is the retribution?”

Newsweek similarly reported that Greene drew backlash after sharing a lengthy post on X questioning the circumstances of the attempted assassination, and quoted Greene asking, “Trump said repeatedly 'I am your retribution.' Where is the retribution?”

In the same Newsweek account, Greene stressed she did not share the post because she believed the shooting was a “hoax,” but because she agreed there needed to be questions asked of the Secret Service and “more transparency on findings.”

The Daily Beast described Greene’s repost as urging followers to read Hope’s argument, and said Hope’s “first red flag” was Trump’s vow at the Republican Convention that he would tell the story “just once” because it was “too painful.”

Hope’s post, as quoted by PennLive, included a passage where she said, “When people tell a lie, certainly a big one it is tough to keep all the details straight,” and argued, “In my opinion Trump made that statement to stop any further conversation about what happened.”

The Daily Beast also reported that Hope found it “odd” that Trump didn’t “aggressively” go after the Secret Service agents who had failed to stop the shooting, and tied that to the later promotion of Sean M. Curran to director of the Secret Service.

While Greene and Hope raised questions, other reporting described official conclusions and direct rebuttals from U.S. government figures and the White House.

“QAnon, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, the Republicans' staging”

Linternaute

The Independent said that in a final report on the July 13, 2024, shooting published last year, the FBI concluded that Crooks acted alone, “clipping the top of his ear, and killing supporter Corey Comperatore,” and it quoted FBI Director Kash Patel saying the president was “fully briefed” and “satisfied” with the report.

The Independent also said the White House pushed back, with a spokesperson saying “only a fool” would believe the conspiracies.

Newsweek quoted White House spokesperson Davis Ingle saying, “On that tragic day in Butler, Pennsylvania, we tragically lost an American hero, Corey Comperatore, who selflessly laid down his life to protect those around him,” and added, “Only a fool would believe otherwise.”

The Times of India described a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review that “found security failures and confirmed that six agents were suspended following the attack,” and it said questions about the incident were raised by political opponents even before Greene’s shift.

Morning Honey likewise said a federal task force report concluded the shooting occurred as described, and that “No evidence supports those claims.”

In the same Morning Honey account, it reiterated that Hope pointed to a review by the Department of Homeland Security that found security failures and “leading to the suspension of six agents.”

The Independent also reported that Greene asked, “Did he actually act alone?” and followed up with “If not, who is behind him and who helped him? Why the cover up??” even as the FBI’s conclusion was that Crooks acted alone.

Coverage of the Butler shooting’s aftermath also diverged in how it described the broader ecosystem of conspiracy claims and the political camps they were meant to serve.

The HuffPost described “two camps” clashing in the conspiracy sphere, with those who believe Joe Biden tried to have Donald Trump killed and those who believe Donald Trump was behind his own attack, and it said “conspiracy theories were flying from all sides on social media.”

Morning Honey

It quoted a warning from Roberta Braga, founder of the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas, saying, “We are about to see a lot of misinformation spread about the perpetrators of the shooting, the attackers, and the events that led to this moment.”

It also quoted Megan Squire, deputy director of data analysis at the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, saying, “Political violence incidents give rise to conspiracy theories and false narratives when people try to bend the event to serve their own interests.”

In parallel, Linternaute described “Conspiracy theories are plentiful on social media” and said “two camps are clashing,” with one claiming the American billionaire targeted by a rifle-shot is himself behind his own attack and the other claiming Joe Biden orchestrated the assassination attempt.

Linternaute also reported that X was filled with claims and cited a post attributed to Shadow of Ezra, saying, “The Deep State had attempted to assassinate Donald Trump live on television,” and it said the post had been viewed “4.7 million times without any sourcing.”

It further described a claim that “Joe Biden a donné les ordres” and said a message was “vu par plus de cinq millions de personnes,” while also citing a statement by Butler County prosecutor Richard Goldinger: “Honestly, I’m surprised he could climb onto that roof and shoot.”

The Times of India added another layer by saying Greene’s questioning was a “different shift” because “some of Trump’s own supporters now promoting theories that the attack may have been staged,” while also stating “No evidence has been provided to support these claims.”

France 24 framed the political messaging around Trump’s “image de survivant,” describing how his supporters tried to use the “images choc” and how experts warned against “la tentation d'en faire trop,” while also quoting J.D. Vance on X that the campaign message of Joe Biden was that Trump is an “autocrate, un fasciste qu’il faut arrêter à tout prix.”

The stakes of the dispute extend beyond the immediate shooting, with reporting showing how the claims are being used in political messaging and how public figures and institutions respond.

“Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene drew some backlash over the weekend when she shared a lengthy post from a user on X who questioned the circumstances surrounding the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024”

Newsweek

France 24 described how Trump’s supporters tried to capitalize on the “images choc” and said the viral images of Trump raising his fist with “du sang sur sa joue” were being printed on “des centaines de milliers de tee-shirts,” while it reported that “des usines en Chine ont commencé à en fabriquer à la chaîne.”

Newsweek

It also quoted René Lindstädt saying militants would use the image as “une "preuve qu’il est fort, plus déterminé que jamais et que rien ne pourra l’arrêter",” and it described how the photo could be read as “l’image d’un homme se battant contre l’establishment.”

France 24 also quoted Angelia Wilson saying there was “une répartition des tâches” between Trump and his “troupes” that were “beaucoup plus virulentes dans les médias et les réseaux sociaux,” and it reported that Lara Trump posted an Instagram montage with “N'aie pas peur, je suis avec toi.”

In the political fight over the narrative, The Independent said skeptics, including Republican representatives, accused the FBI of “stonewalling,” while Greene asked, “Why won’t Trump release the information about Matthew Crooks?”

The Times of India said DHS found security failures and that “six agents were suspended,” and it described the ongoing search for accountability as rescue and investigation continued.

Newsweek described how Greene’s break with Trump drew backlash and said the split escalated after disputes over U.S. military actions and the administration’s refusal to release additional Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, and it said Trump revoked his endorsement and denounced Greene in public statements.

At the same time, the White House spokesperson Davis Ingle insisted, “President Trump will never forget Corey and his beautiful family,” and said God spared Trump’s life by “a miraculous millimeter.”

Looking forward, The HuffPost reported that Joe Biden urged people “not to speculate about what happened,” and it framed the warnings from misinformation experts as a response to the risk of false narratives spreading about “the perpetrators of the shooting, the attackers, and the events that led to this moment.”