Trump's Would-Be Assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks' Cremation Paid for by Mysterious 'Anonymous Donor' Days After Deadly Butler Rally Shooting
Thomas Crooks' body was ultimately cremated.
Sept. 15 2026, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
The man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump in 2024 was cremated – and an anonymous donor picked up the tab, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was shot dead after opening fire toward Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. At the time, the 20-year-old's family was reportedly financially struggling, making it difficult to fund Crooks' postmortem arrangements.
Thomas Crooks Cremation Funded by 'Anonymous Donor'
Crooks attempted to kill Trump during a campaign rally.
At the end of an interview summary from a conversation with Crooks' father, a note was added, according to federal records viewed by The New York Post.
"Anonymous donor paid for cremation," wrote federal investigators, who noted the detail came from a family attorney.
The documents added a note that neither of Crooks' parents were employed at the time of the incident. His father was reportedly "retired" while his mother was on leave. As for Crooks, he was reportedly "unemployed" when the shooting took place.
It's unclear if investigators were able to nail down the anonymous donor or pursued the detail as part of their inquiry.
Sen. Chuck Grassley Sounds Alarm
Sen. Chuck Grassley expressed disappointment by the body's handling.
The information was obtained after a slew of documents were turned over to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley amid an investigation into the shooting.
Some were concerned about the family's access to Crooks' body so soon after he was gunned down by Trump's security team. Representative Clay Higgins initially revealed the cremation, expressing disappointment that the federal investigators turned over the body so quickly. Higgins hoped to personally examine the body as a part of the congressional inquiry.
"My effort to examine Crooks’ body on Monday, August 5 (2024), caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact… the FBI released the body for cremation 10 days after (July 13)," Higgins wrote in a letter.
Tucker Carlson Calls Out FBI's Investigation
Tucker Carlson claimed his team did a fruitful independent investigation.
The latest detail came after Tucker Carlson claimed the FBI was keeping vital information away from the public.
In late 2025, Carlson took to YouTube and said, "That's because for some reason, the FBI, even the current FBI, doesn't want us to know."
As a result, the former Fox News anchor explained that his own team dug into Crooks' past, analyzing comments from the attempted assassin's YouTube account. They alleged they found several online accounts linked to Crooks.
He claimed the YouTube data included "search history, his watch history, and 737 public comments." Additionally, Carlson alleged he discovered Crooks' Google Drive, featuring videos of him wielding a handgun in his bedroom.
"Years before he showed up in Butler, Crooks was leaving a detailed digital trail of violent threats, including calls for assassinations and political violence. Second, they show a man who started out as a radical Trump supporter whose views on the president transformed," Carlson said.
FBI Finds 'No Motive' in Thomas Matthew Crooks Case
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Then-FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino closed up the case in 2025.
In November 2025, then-FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino claimed the agency found no reason why the gunman would open fire on Trump during the rally.
The FBI ultimately closed the probe into Crooks' past, prompting Congress to do its own due diligence.
"We have reviewed this case over and over – looked into every nugget. We have spoken to the families, the president," claimed Bongino. "There is no motive for it, there is no reason for it."
In July 2019, a social media account linked to the sniper posted, "Everyone (sic) of the Trump hating Democrats deserves to have their heads chopped of (sic) and put on steaks (sic) for the world to see what happens when you f--k with America."
