Executive Summary
- Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker claims the agency missed a clear trail of extremist digital posts by Thomas Crooks.
- Reported posts included violent threats against politicians and specific references to terrorism-style attacks.
- Swecker alleges internal bias within the FBI affected the transparency and direction of the initial investigation.
- The former official warned that the internet allows hostile foreign actors to potentially groom individuals within the U.S.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation missed multiple opportunities to interdict Thomas Crooks before he attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to statements made by a former assistant director of the agency. Chris Swecker, who served in the FBI for 24 years, cited a significant trail of extremist digital activity that allegedly went unnoticed by federal law enforcement prior to the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Speaking to The Post, Swecker described the Bureau’s handling of the threat assessment as earning a “C- grade.” He pointed to reports of Crooks’ extensive online footprint, which included violent rhetoric and specific threats. “It’s clear that he was popping off on the social media sites and saying things that should have garnered attention,” Swecker stated. He argued that if even a portion of the reported digital evidence is accurate, the 20-year-old gunman should have been flagged by authorities long before the attack.
According to details recently revealed, Crooks’ online activity included comments on YouTube expressing anti-Semitic sentiments and a desire to commit violence using an AR-15 rifle. Other posts attributed to Crooks reportedly included the phrase “KILL DEMOCRATS” and suggestions that government officials should be targeted with “terrorism style attacks” or explosives. Swecker noted, “That constitutes a miss on the part of the FBI.”
Swecker, who retired as the assistant director for the Criminal Investigative Division in 2006, also leveled criticism at the Bureau’s leadership during the investigation. He alleged that the FBI, under then-Director Christopher Wray, appeared hesitant to categorize the shooter’s motivations accurately due to internal biases. “There was a bias in the FBI towards right-wing extremists,” Swecker claimed, suggesting that contrary ideological indicators were often “glossed over.” He further asserted that the lack of transparency regarding the shooter’s profile allowed conspiracy theories to proliferate.
In his comments, Swecker called on Director Kash Patel to release all non-classified files related to Crooks to restore public trust. “They ought to come out with the full motivation – that’s not classified – and then let’s get it out there,” he said. Beyond domestic concerns, Swecker warned that Crooks’ radicalization highlights a vulnerability to foreign influence. He suggested that hostile foreign intelligence services could utilize the internet to groom unstable individuals in the United States, drawing a parallel to tactics previously employed by ISIS.
Investigative Oversight and National Security
The rigorous critique from a former high-ranking official underscores the ongoing challenges federal agencies face in balancing civil liberties with the need to preemptively identify lone-offender threats in the digital age. As the review of the security failures leading up to the attack on President Trump continues, the focus centers on whether current threat assessment protocols are sufficient to detect radicalization across the ideological spectrum and prevent foreign exploitation of domestic vulnerabilities.