Donald Trump Rally Shooter ‘on Suicide Mission to Trigger 2nd U.S. Civil War’
Aug. 2 2024, Published 6:17 p.m. ET
Insiders claimed the 20-year-old would-be assassin of Donald Trump was on an alleged "suicide mission" and wanted to "trigger a second U.S. civil war", RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, came within mere millimeters of achieving his goal when he opened fire at the Trump rally, killing one attendee and nearly missing the ex-president's head.
Amid criticism of the Secret Service security detail – including initial red flags that were ignored, like Crooks entering the venue with a rangefinder and video footage of the shooter lurking beyond the secured perimeter shortly before shots rang out – a more sinister conspiracy theory has been made: Crooks may have intended to spark civil unrest with the killing of Trump and was willing to die to achieve that.
Political author Leon Wagener said: "Crooks had to know what would have happened had be been successful. It could very well have been the match that set the flame to a larger fire."
Wagener added: "Trump's supporters may have been marching in the streets – or worse. It would have gotten very ugly."
Meanwhile, a Secret Service insider claimed the shooter – who was killed by law enforcement at the event – likely understood the gravity of his plan when he arrived at the rally in Butler County that fateful day.
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The insider explained Crooks would have known the Secret Service would aim to kill after shots were fired at the ex-president.
The source said: "The Secret Service doesn't stop to arrest people when they fire from a rooftop at someone like Trump. Crooks' shooting could only have ended in the way that it did – with him dead from a law enforcement sniper's bullet."
While Crook's motive has not yet been confirmed by investigators, his failed plan did spark a flurry of criticism over the Secret Service's actions that day, as well as spawned more divide among voters.
In the wake of the attempted assassination, numerous conspiracy theories surfaced, with some right-wing figures suggesting rogue elements of the Democratic Party were working with CIA to kill the Republican nominee.
Other far-right supporters alleged the shooting was the work of leftist group Antifa.
On the other hand, left-leaning critics suggested Crooks was a plan and the shooting was a "false flag" operation in which the shooter intentionally missed Trump, allowing for the ex-president to generate support and campaign off the near death experience.
In a since-deleted social media post, Douglas Orr, the Democratic mayor of Aberdeen, Washington, wrote: "Ears bleed a lot. I hope they check to make sure it wasn't just a self-inflicted scratch."
"The shooter is dead so we will never know if it was staged."
Following the shooting, Trump attended the Republican National Convention, where he formally accepted the party's nomination, with a noticeable bandage over his ear.
Trump fans quickly reacted by bandaging their own ears in a bizarre showing of support for the ex-president.
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