Episode Overview
Theme:
Miranda Devine dives into newly uncovered details about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump by Thomas Crooks at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. She exposes gaps and contradictions in the FBI and Secret Service’s account, questions the official narrative, and challenges why Crooks' extensive digital footprint was not acted upon sooner.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Call to Investigate the Official Narrative
- Miranda receives a tip from a trusted legal contact about new evidence regarding Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate Trump.
- The President remains "unsatisfied with the answers" received from authorities about the circumstances and motivation behind the attack. (00:48)
“We are all owed a better explanation from the FBI and the Secret Service about the attempted assassination of Don Trump 16 months ago.”
— [Miranda, relaying her source] (01:08)
- The attack resulted in one death (Corey Comperatori) and wounded two others in the crowd.
2. Contradictions in the FBI’s Statements
- FBI Director Chris Wray initially claimed no motive or ideology could be found in Crooks’ online footprint, but Deputy Paula Bate later referenced extremist themes in Crooks’ social media (02:02).
- Devine’s independent source discovered whole swathes of radical posts that the FBI did not mention to Congress.
- This omission “misled Congress by omission.” (02:35)
“His radicalization, violent rhetoric, and obsession with political violence were all documented under his real name. The threat was not hidden.”
— [Miranda, quoting her source] (03:23)
3. Mapping Crooks’ Online Radicalization
- Crooks had accounts on at least 17 platforms, ranging from YouTube and Discord to DeviantArt.
- A detailed timeline shows his ideological flip—from rabidly pro-Trump in mid-2019, issuing threats against Democrats and immigrants, to anti-Trump rhetoric by January 2020.
- Pro-Trump phase:
- “the literal definition of patriotism” (01:17 AM, July 20, 2019)
- “Murder the Democrats” (All caps, December 12, 2019)
- Anti-Trump phase:
- “Keep in mind the only reason we may know about any of this is because of Trump’s stupidity.” (January 23, 2020)
- Criticizing Trump supporters as “a cult” (February 26, 2020)
- Calling Trump “racist” (February 26, 2020)
- “The only way to fight the gov is with terrorism style attacks… track down any important people, politicians, military leaders, et cetera, and try to assassinate them.” (August 5, 2020; 15:10)*
- Pro-Trump phase:
4. Failure to Flag a Visible Threat
- Crooks' violent online rhetoric, using his real name, was active for five years—and flagged by other users who mentioned law enforcement—but nothing was done until after the shooting.
- His YouTube account had over 700 public comments and was not taken down until the day after the assassination attempt.
“He spoke openly of political assassination, posted under his real name, and was even flagged by other users who mentioned law enforcement in their replies. Despite this, his account remained active for more than five years.”
— Miranda (05:34)
- None of this detail made it into Congress’ final report in December 2024, raising further suspicion (06:08).
5. The PayPal Account Mystery & FBI Connections
- Crooks operated only one alias account: a PayPal account under the name "Rod Swanson," which matches a former senior FBI agent.
- Swanson denies any connection, stating: “I don’t even use PayPal. I don’t even know how to set up a PayPal account.” [Rod Swanson, Phone interview] (09:05)
- Swanson insists, “If the FBI had that information about his name on the PayPal account, I can’t even imagine they would not have reached out to me right away.” (09:58)
6. Crooks’ Interests: Furries, Gender Identity, and Extremist Contacts
- Crooks participated in the furry community under aliases “Epic Microwave” and “the Epic Microwave” on DeviantArt, with interests in gender identity and anthropomorphic art (11:12).
- Communicated with “Willi Tepes,” a Norwegian neo-Nazi of the Nordic Resistance Movement (designated a terrorist organization). Tepes encouraged Crooks’ extremism and claimed contact with American and Russian intelligence. Crooks parroted Maoist revolutionary slogans in his own comments.
- Crooks “disappeared” from online activity shortly after these interactions, leading to questions about a possible FBI or Secret Service intervention—or lack thereof.
7. Government Silence and Congressional Frustration
- The FBI declined to respond to questions about any prior investigation or file on Crooks (15:29).
- FBI Director Wray told Congress (July 24, 2024): “The bureau did not have any prior information about the shooter and he was not in our holdings before the shooting.” (16:10)
- The Secret Service has not commented; classified after-action reports are only available to intelligence committees, and these, according to Devine, “have shown little curiosity.”
- Senator Ron Johnson has been “stonewalled by the FBI and the Secret Service,” forced to issue subpoenas to get information about the investigation (19:05).
8. Unanswered Questions and Skepticism
- Why were Crooks' parents, who were financially struggling, able to afford a high-end law firm for his defense?
- Did the FBI or Secret Service overlook Crooks, or did they know and fail to act?
- Implied, but unproven, are suggestions that there may be reasons for the authorities’ secrecy or inaction—raising more questions than answers.
“It is hard to believe the FBI and or the Secret Service missed Crooks. The question is, what did they do about him?”
— Miranda Devine (20:10)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“The danger Crooks posed was visible for years in public online spaces… The threat was not hidden.”
— Miranda’s source (03:23) -
“We are all owed a better explanation from the FBI and the Secret Service about the attempted assassination of Don Trump 16 months ago.”
— Miranda (01:08) -
"Murder the Democrats."
— Thomas Crooks’ comment (December 12, 2019; quoted at 06:48) -
“In my opinion, the only way to fight the gov is with terrorism style attacks…track down any important people, politicians, military leaders, et cetera, and try to assassinate them.”
— Crooks, August 5, 2020 (08:47) -
“If the FBI had that information about his name on the PayPal account, I can’t even imagine they would not have reached out to me right away.”
— Rod Swanson (10:05) -
“Senator Ron Johnson’s requests for information from the FBI have been rebuffed... He had to issue a subpoena this July on the one year anniversary of the Butler attack and complained that he had been, quote, stonewalled by the FBI and the Secret Service...”
— Miranda (19:05)
Important Timestamps
- 00:00 — Introduction and framing the episode's focus
- 02:02 — FBI Director Wray's and Deputy Bate’s initial statements to Congress
- 05:34 — Detailed findings of Crooks’ online activity and missed warning signs
- 06:48 — Crooks' violent rhetoric and transition from pro- to anti-Trump
- 09:05 — The PayPal alias and interview with former FBI agent Rod Swanson
- 11:12 — Crooks’ engagement with furries and interactions with extremist individuals
- 15:29 — Request for FBI comment and their official response
- 19:05 — Senator Ron Johnson’s congressional investigation and obstacles
- 20:10 — Miranda’s closing skepticism regarding the FBI and Secret Service’s handling
Summary
Miranda Devine’s mini-episode critically examines the FBI and Secret Service’s handling of Thomas Crooks before his assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Drawing on uncovered digital evidence, Devine highlights a clear, years-long online pattern of radicalization and violent threats that were ignored or misrepresented in official accounts. Government agencies remain tight-lipped, fueling concerns about transparency, accountability, and institutional failures in preventing political violence. The episode leaves listeners with more questions than answers—and a strong suspicion that the full story has yet to be revealed.