FBI Director Issues Update on Trump Rally Shooter - Facts Matter

Facts Matter — FBI Director Issues Update on Trump Rally Shooter
Podcast: Facts Matter (The Epoch Times)
Host: Roman
Date: November 21, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is centered around recent updates from the FBI regarding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. Host Roman discusses FBI Director Kash Patel’s statement confirming that the shooter, Thomas Crooks, acted alone. The episode also covers two related incidents: the failed assassination attempt by Ryan Ruth in Florida, and the discovery of a suspicious hunting platform near Air Force One’s landing zone, which may not be connected to any real threat. Roman provides detailed commentary on each case and shares broader reflections on government transparency and investigative processes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. FBI Update on Thomas Crooks (00:00-07:00)

FBI Director Kash Patel’s Statement:
- On November 14, Patel publicly updated the nation on the findings in the Thomas Crooks case, emphasizing that Crooks “acted alone” in his attempt to assassinate Trump.
- Quote: “Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20 year old who attempted to assassinate then presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania in July of 2024, planned and executed the attack on his own, with the FBI finding no evidence of accomplices or prior discussions by him of his intent.” [00:58]
- The scope of the FBI investigation was extensive: over 480 FBI personnel, 1,000+ interviews, 2,000 public tips, digital analysis of 13 devices, review of nearly 500,000 files, and investigation into financial and social media activity.
- Quote (Patel): “Over 480 FBI employees conducted over 1,000 interviews, addressed over 2,000 public tips, analyzed data extracted from 13 seized digital devices, reviewed nearly 500,000 digital files … Crooks had limited online and in-person interactions with [others], planned and conducted the attack alone, and did not leak or share his intent to engage in the attack with anyone.” [02:25]
Foreign Accounts:
- Previous congressional data mentioned Crooks had encrypted accounts in Belgium, Germany, and New Zealand, but Patel’s recent update downplays concerns about any foreign connection.
- Roman invites listener feedback: “Let me know in the comments section below if you agree with that assessment.” [03:45]
Transparency Lawsuit:
- America First Legal (AFL), a pro-Trump nonprofit, is suing the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security for records on the Butler incident, seeking documents on security staffing and internal communications.
- Noted irony: Despite Stephen Miller (founder of AFL and now a Trump adviser) being close to the White House, his organization must sue for these government documents.
- “It is perhaps worth mentioning how ironic it is that ... Stephen Miller is within the closest inner circle ... but his organization is still having to sue the government for these documents …” [05:35]

2. Other Trump Assassination Attempts (07:00-17:00)

A. Ryan Ruth Incident (07:10-13:00)

Background:
- In September 2024, Ryan Ruth attempted to assassinate Trump at a Florida golf course with a rifle, waited for 10 hours hidden in bushes, and was detected by a Secret Service agent.
- Found guilty on all charges but attempted self-harm in court upon hearing the verdict.
- Ruth later requested to serve his sentence in a state allowing assisted suicide (“medical aid in dying”), stating he is a “constant failure” and offering to be traded for American prisoners abroad.
- Quote from Ruth’s filing: “Trade me for a Palestinian prisoner in Israel to have my spot in Hawaii or a POW of Ukraine suffering in Russia or any prisoner anywhere that is suffering … Do not let me take my own life and have zero benefit for humanity or mankind.” [11:45]
Legal and Human Interest Context:
- Roman reflects, “I’ll go out on a limb here and say there’s very little chance of any of those trades actually happening.” [12:45]
- Judges’ prison recommendations are nonbinding; ultimate decision is with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
- States permitting assisted suicide are listed for reference.

B. The Tree Stand Incident (13:00-17:00)

Discovery and Suspicion:
- A “hunting platform” was found in a tree overlooking where Air Force One would land in West Palm Beach, Florida, initially raising suspicions of a potential assassination plot.
- The stand was quickly removed and sent to the FBI lab for forensic analysis.
Local Hunter’s Commentary:
- Mike Kimmel, known as “Python Cowboy,” believes the stand had been there for years and was unrelated to Trump or current events.
- Quote (Kimmel): “When we had first seen it, Joe Biden was president, and it looked old and dilapidated at the time. … It never gave, like, a suspicious vibe.” [15:09]
- Kimmel also said: “It’s been just sitting out there in the elements … I’d expect them to investigate something like that for sure, but I’d also kind of expect them to figure out very quickly that it’s essentially nothing.” [15:58]
Official Status:
- No updates since the initial discovery; the FBI continues to analyze, but, “the investigation has not identified any individuals connected to the mystery tree perch.” [16:30]

3. Summary of Developments (17:00-18:00)

Thomas Crooks: Officially ruled a lone gunman.
Ryan Ruth: Convicted, requested assisted suicide, and proposed prisoner swaps.
Hunting Stand: Likely unrelated to Trump, possibly years old.

4. Memorable Quotes & Moments

On FBI investigation:
“Meaning that Thomas Crooks was a real 20-year-old lone gunman.” [03:10]
On transparency and government lawsuits:
“...his organization … is still having to sue the government for these documents rather than just Stephen Miller walking over to the office of the DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and asking for them.” [06:10]
On the hunting stand controversy:
“There are no elk in West Palm Beach. There’s nothing really to hunt there at all.” [14:15]
On Kimmel’s perspective:
“It never crossed our minds that it would be used by someone taking a shot at the President or anything like that.” [15:19]

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00-03:30 — FBI Director Kash Patel’s public statement and findings on Thomas Crooks
03:30-05:45 — Investigation breadth, data, and resources detailed
05:45-07:00 — Lawsuit by America First Legal for government transparency
07:10-13:00 — Ryan Ruth’s assassination attempt, trial, and unusual requests
13:00-17:00 — Hunting platform discovery near Air Force One, investigation, and local expert commentary

Tone and Language

Roman’s reporting maintains a straightforward, fact-focused style with occasional dry humor and gentle irony, particularly when discussing bureaucratic oddities or the unexpected aspects of these violent incidents. Quotes from official statements and court documents are woven directly into the narrative, providing authenticity and depth.

Summary

This episode of Facts Matter delivers a clear, thorough update on three attempted assassinations involving Donald Trump, focusing on facts from official statements, court proceedings, and investigative updates. With detailed examples, direct quotes, and an eye for both context and process, Roman ensures listeners leave well-informed but free to draw their own conclusions about the events discussed.

Transcript

A (0:00)

On Friday, November 14, you had FBI Director Kash Patel take to the podium at the White House in order to give the American public an update on Thomas Crooks, the failed assassin in Butler, Pennsylvania. Although I call him the failed assassin. But even though he failed to assassinate Trump, Thomas Crooks did murder a man who was shielding his family from gunfire and he also seriously wounded two others in attendance. Now in regards to the update, Kash Patel said that after conducting their investigation, the FBI has determined that Thomas Crooks acted alone. Quote, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on November 14 that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20 year old who attempted to assassinate then presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania In July of 2024, planned and executed the attack on his own, with the FBI finding no evidence of accomplices or prior discussions by him of his intent. Then in a follow up statement you had Cash Patel basically give an overview of the breadth of this FBI by noting the scale of the resources that were involved and also the amount of proverbial rocks that were turned over and looked under. Quote, Over 480 FBI employees were involved in the Thomas Crooks investigation. Employees conducted over 1,000 interviews, addressed over 2,000 public tips, analyzed data extracted from 13 seized digital devices, reviewed nearly 500,000 digital files collected, processed and synchronized hundreds of hours of video footage, analyzed financial activity from 10 different accounts, and examined data associated with 25 social media or online forum accounts. The FBI's investigation into Thomas Crooks identified and examined over 20 online accounts, data extracted from over a dozen electronic devices, examination of numerous financial accounts and over 1000 interviews and 2000 public tips. The investigation conducted by over 480 FBI employees, revealed Crooks had limited online and in person interactions with, planned and conducted the attack alone, and did not leak or share his intent to engage in the attack with anyone. Meaning that Thomas Crooks was a real 20 year old lone gunman. Now I'll mention in a prior data release that was made by a congressional task force, it was revealed that among Thomas Crooks digital activity there were some encrypted accounts in multiple foreign countries, specifically in Belgium, in Germany as well as in New Zealand. But Cash Patel's most recent statement basically dismissed those concerns regarding the foreign accounts. Let me know in the comments section below if you agree with that assessment. And also as you're leaving your comment, please do smash those like and subscribe buttons so that this video can reach ever more people via the YouTube algorithm. And also I will mention that right now you have a nonprofit watchdog group called America First Legal they're currently in the process of suing both the Secret Service as well as the Department of Homeland Security in order to get the records related to to the Butler assassination attempt. Quote, a lawsuit was filed against the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security in a bid to seek records from the two agencies about the July 13 assassination attempt targeting Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. The suit filed by America First Legal, a non profit pro Trump group that was set up by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller in 2021, states that both agencies are concealing records connected to the incident. America first stated that its lawsuit seeks documents on staffing issues, high hiring and employment standards at the Secret Service, as well as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas communications to top Secret service officials on July 13th. And it is perhaps worth mentioning how ironic it is that the organization set up by Stephen Miller in 2021 back when he was outside the government, but now Trump is back in the White House and Stephen Miller is within the closest inner circle of the US President, but his organization set up in 2021 is still having to sue the government for these documents rather than just Stephen Miller walking over to the office of the DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and asking for them. Anyway, that's the official development coming from Kash Patel and the FBI. Also, since we're on the general topic of Trump's assassins, I'll mention two other things. Firstly, regarding Mr. Ryan Ruth, the other lone gunman. Now, in case you don't remember, Mr. Ruth, he was the second attempted assassin, the one who nested himself up over in Florida with a rifle to facing Trump's golf course. Quote, a jury found Ryan Ruth sought to kill Trump as he pointed a rifle through a fence while the then Republican candidate for president was playing golf. A Secret Service agent discovered Ruth and the rifle and opened fire at him, prompting him to flee the scene before he was arrested hours later. Ruth lay in wait for nearly 10 hours on September 15, 2024, the day of the incident, concealing himself in thick blue bushes overlooking the sixth hole green. Investigators of the scene found an SKS style rifle, two bags containing metal plates like those used in body armor, and a small video camera pointed toward the course. Now, as that blurb mentioned last month, he was found guilty on all five counts against him. And you might remember that when the jury announced their guilty verdict against him, Mr. Ruth, he grabbed a pen that was laying on the desk and tried to stab himself in the neck with it. And but he was unsuccessful at that because the U.S. marshals basically restrained him and took him out of the room. However, it appears that he is still trying to go down that road, given his most recent request. Quote Ryan Routh asked a federal judge to recommend he be imprisoned in a state that authorizes assisted suicide. Mr. Ruth told U.S. district Judge Eileen Cannon in a winding request that he is a constant failure and thus wishes to be placed in a prison facility where assisted suicide was often called medical aid in dying is allowed. He said he still holds out hope that his life may be traded for American prisoners being held by a foreign adversary, a suggestion he made ahead of his trial and claimed he has made to countless Ministry of Foreign affairs, but has found his request to be ineffective. He's then quoted as writing in one of his court filings this quote, trade me for a Palestinian prisoner in Israel to have my spot in Hawaii I or a POW of Ukraine suffering in Russia or any prisoner anywhere that is suffering. I'm unaware of prisoners in Sudan, Haiti, Myanmar or all the other places of conflict, but trade me anywhere. Do not let me take my own life and have zero benefit for humanity or mankind. Now, I am by no means a legal expert, but I'll go out on a limb here and say that there's very little chance of any of those trades actually happening. Also, regarding his request, it is true that judges can make recommendations regarding which prison a particular person lands into, but it's a non binding recommendation. It's ultimately the Federal Bureau of Prisons that makes the call regarding which prison a person goes to. For your reference, medical aid in dying or assisted suicide is authorized in 11 states as well as Washington, D.C. and those states just for your reference are as California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, New Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, as well as Washington State. And so let's see if he gets sentenced to any one of those prisons. So that was the first thing I thought was worth mentioning. The second thing I wanted to mention is in regards to the alleged third assassination attempt of President Trump. Now to give you a brief recap. A month and a half ago, we published an episode on our program detailing how the Secret Service found this hunting platform on a tree that was facing the exact direction where President Trump's door on Air Force One would be at a Florida airport. Quote Prior to the President's return to West Palm Beach, U.S. secret Service discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone. No individuals were located at the scene. The FBI has since taken the investigatory lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene and deploying our cell phone analytics capabilities. Now, in terms of what this looked like, visually, up on your screen is a photo that was released by the Secret Service showing what appears to be an elevated hunting platform located on the branch of a tree, not unlike something you would use for hunting elk. But, of course, there are no elk in West Palm Beach. There's nothing really to hunt there at all. And you combine that with the fact that this stand had a line of sight to where the President would be exiting Air Force One, and that looked pretty bad, to say the least. Now, upon discovery, the stand itself was dismantled and it was sent to an FBI lab in order to examine it to, to see whether any DNA or fingerprint evidence can be derived from it. And so that's all what we were told in late October. Now, the update here is that there is no update. There has been not a single statement made regarding this hunting platform since October 19th when it was discovered by Secret Service. However, the reason that there is no update might be because it was actually nothing, according to Mr. Mike Kimmel. He's a local Florida reptile hunter who goes by the name Python Cowboy, and he says that this hunting perch might have been there for upwards of two years before it was discovered by Secret Service. Speaking to NBC News, Here is what Mr. Kimmel had to say. Quote, when we had first seen it, Joe Biden was president, and it looked old and dilapidated at the time. It never gave, like, a suspicious vibe. It never crossed our minds that it would be used by someone taking a shot at the President or anything like that. Now, Mr. Kimmel Hunt's iguanas in the waterway surrounding that particular airport over in Palm beach, and he said that he first saw this hunting stand several years ago. Quote, Kimmel said he understands why the Secret Service would find the tree stand suspicious, given its proximity to an airport Trump frequents and the fact that he had been targeted before. But he thinks there's little chance even the most advanced technical analysis would yield much of anything. He was then quoted as saying this. It's been just sitting out there in the elements with the sun straight on. It rains, everything like that. I would imagine any kind of DNA or fingerprints would be quickly eliminated off of it, but that's not my area of expertise. I would expect them to investigate something like that for sure, but I'd also kind of expect them to figure out very quickly that it's essentially nothing. For their part, though, the FBI might still be looking into it for all we know. Quote, an FBI spokesperson said the agency continues to analyze the hunting stand materials for forensic clues at its laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. So far, the investigation has not identified any individuals connected to the mystery tree perch. And so there you have it, updates on the allegedly three attempted assassinations of President Trump. For one, the FBI said, officially said that their investigation found Thomas Crooks to be indeed a lone gunman. Secondly, Ryan Ruth is looking to either get traded in a prisoner swap or to be sent to a prison with an option for assisted suicide. And then thirdly, the hunting perch facing Air Force One might have been there for years and was probably nothing at all. And so there you have it. If you'd like to go deeper into any one of these three stories, I'll throw all my research notes down into the description box below this video so you can go deeper into the weeds if you would so like. And then lastly, I'll mention, on a totally unrelated topic, we recently published an episode on my other YouTube channel, Prime Time, regarding the cloning of animals. Basically, there was a very interesting story where Tom Brady, there were a lot of rumors swirling around him because that his new dog is an actual clone of his old dog. And so that sort of sends us down this rabbit hole. And we in the episode discuss cloning, how it's a real thing and people with a lot of money are having their animals cloned, for one, their pets. But secondly, cloned animal meat is starting to actually get into the supermarket store shelves and some countries are even scrapping labeling requirements. For instance, Canada has recently scrapped labeling requirements, making it such that if you're eating cloned meat or offspring of cloned meat, you are. There's no legal obligation for the company to tell you that. So it's a wild discussion. Check it out. It's on my other YouTube channel called Primetime Unscripted. I'll throw the link to that cloning Animals episode. It'll be down in the description box below. If you want to check that out. I hope you do. The episode is great, but also that channel is pretty good. So I hope you subscribe to that channel as well. Hope to grow it to be a big channel, just like facts matter. So check it out. And then until next time, I'm your host, Roman from the Epic Times. Stay informed. Most importantly, stay free.