Trump Claims Butler Assassination Attempt Was Ploy to 'Get Me Out of the Election' — as Prez Accuses Joe Biden's Administration of Concealing Evidence
Donald Trump accused the prior administration of concealing evidence.
Sept. 16 2026, Published 11:06 a.m. ET
Even President Donald Trump himself is peddling conspiracy theories about the assassination attempt in Butler, P.A., during a campaign rally.
Trump accused former President Joe Biden and his administration of concealing evidence, RadarOnline.com has learned. He claimed the incident was a stunt orchestrated by Democrats to remove him from the presidential race against Biden, who was still running at that time.
Donald Trump Accuses Democrats of Staging Assassination
He claimed the hit on his life was an attempt to get him out of the race.
Writing on Truth Social, the president said: "Everybody knows the Crooked Joe Biden FBI didn’t do what they should have with respect to the Lunatic who shot me in Butler, PA. By the time I got into Office, on January 20th, most of the information was missing, altered, corrupted, or gone. New info was just found! Why wasn’t it seen long ago?"
He called the incident a "Democrat Plot," which failed. Trump also directly called out former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Christopher Wray, claiming he "should pay a price for the way he handled this assassination attempt, and certainly for the things he said."
FBI Claims Assailant Acted Online
There has been no evidence uncovered to suggest a conspiracy.
While the claim the assassination attempt was a staged incident has long since brewed among conspiracy circles, there is no proof presented to support it.
Nonetheless, Trump and his supporters were insistent.
The allegation comes two years after the shooting by Thomas Crooks, who opened fire on Trump during a political rally. He was subsequently shot dead by the Secret Service.
The FBI's investigation concluded Crooks acted alone, and they didn't indicate any government-related plot. However, some people present cast doubt on their findings.
Widowed Bystander Speaks Out
Helen Comperatore claimed she was presented with 'things' to convince her it was 'an inside job.'
Trump made it out with minimal injury – only showing a bloodied ear from a bullet or bullet fragment grazing him.
However, due to Crooks' poor aim, a nearby Trump supporter was shot and killed. Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief, took a fatal hit.
His wife, Helen Comperatore, expressed she was among those uncertain about the FBI's conclusion. "I believe it was an inside job, inside the government somewhere," she claimed, pointing toward a government led by Biden at the time.
When asked about evidence, she alleged to NewsNation she has been shown "things," adding, "But I have something that happened with me that just afterwards and you’re starting to put the pieces together, it just made total sense."
Congressional Investigation Yields Concern
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Chuck Grassley was unhappy with how the body of Thomas Crooks was handled.
Trump wasn't the only Republican concerned with the federal investigation.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who is now leading a Congressional investigation, expressed concern about investigators' handling of Crooks' body, which was quickly turned over to the family.
"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.
The body was subsequently cremated.
Later, documents obtained by Congress via the FBI revealed the money for cremation came from an "anonymous donor."
A family lawyer for the Crooks reportedly provided the detail to investigators, but it was not indicated whether they tracked down the identity of the person.
