Kash Patel Comments On Butler Investigation
In a pivotal moment for public trust and national security, FBI Director Kash Patel has promised that Americans will receive the full truth about the July 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. Speaking with Fox News’ Bret Baier in an exclusive interview, Patel sought to reassure a skeptical public that transparency is the top priority—even as questions about the shooter, the motive, and the lapses in protection continue to mount.
Patel, appointed amid a sweeping overhaul of the Bureau, didn’t mince words. “We take assassination attempts, especially of the president of the United States, extremely seriously,” he said. In the face of rampant online speculation and lingering distrust, Patel insisted that the FBI’s goal is simple: complete transparency.
“We’re digging through the files, and we’re getting [the public] a more robust picture of what happened,” he assured, while also cautioning against conspiracy theories that have spread like wildfire since the incident in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Despite the FBI’s repeated briefings and some documents already released, major questions remain unresolved:
- Who was Thomas Matthew Crooks, and what was his true motivation?
- Why was he able to get so close to the presidential candidate with a clear line of sight?
- Were there lapses in Secret Service protocol that allowed the attempt to unfold?
Patel acknowledged that transparency is more feasible in this case since the suspect was killed at the scene, freeing investigators from the usual legal constraints tied to active prosecutions. Still, that hasn’t silenced critics—or Trump himself.
In a separate conversation with Baier, President Trump himself voiced continued skepticism over the federal narrative.
“So far… they tell me it’s fine. But it’s a little hard to believe, to be honest with you,” Trump said during a diplomatic visit to the Middle East. Though he expressed confidence in allies like Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel, his words reflected a deepening concern that something doesn’t add up.
And Trump is not alone. The general public, media analysts, and political figures across the spectrum have noted that unusual gaps remain—from the lack of detailed background on Crooks, to the unclear chain of intelligence leading up to the shooting.
As Baier pointedly asked Patel, “Why do we know so little about this guy?” Despite the Bureau’s access to Crooks’ digital footprint, known affiliations, and psychological profile, the public record remains conspicuously thin. That has fueled speculation—unfounded or otherwise—about whether the event was a lone-wolf act, a coordinated sabotage attempt, or something more sinister.
The attempted assassination, which wounded Trump and left the shooter dead, rattled the 2024 election cycle and left the nation reeling. It also ignited a firestorm of scrutiny around Secret Service protocols, with many questioning whether basic protective measures had failed at the most critical moment.