Exclusive | FBI missed multiple opportunities to stop Thomas Crooks before he tried to assassinate Trump, ex-assistant director fumes

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FBI Missed Multiple Opportunities to Stop Thomas Crooks Before Assassination Attempt

The FBI's failure to intervene in a timely manner was a missed opportunity to stop 20-year-old Thomas Crooks from carrying out an assassination attempt on then-presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump, according to a former assistant director.

Crooks made several disturbing posts on social media that expressed extreme views and threatened violence against politicians, including Trump. However, the FBI seemed reluctant to acknowledge these threats, with one source describing their handling of the investigation as earning a "C- grade".

Retired FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker believes the Bureau's hesitation was rooted in a perceived bias towards right-wing extremism. According to Swecker, there was an unwritten rule within the Bureau that if the ideology driving extremist violence was left-wing, it would be glossed over.

Swecker, who served at the FBI for 24 years, claims that the Bureau's reluctance to acknowledge Crooks' threats led to a lack of transparency in the investigation. This allowed conspiracy theories to spread and multiply, creating a perfect storm that ultimately led to Trump being grazed by gunfire during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The source warns that if even half of Trump's would-be assassin's extremist digital footprint is true, it should have raised significant red flags for the FBI long before Crooks opened fire on the then-presumptive presidential nominee. Swecker calls on former Director Christopher Wray to release all relevant files related to Crooks as soon as possible and urges the public to be more vigilant in recognizing online threats.

The warning comes as Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Pat Fallon (R-Texas) accused Wray of "stonewalling" the investigation into Crooks, which Swecker disputes. Instead, he says that what they're calling stonewalling was really a missed opportunity for transparency in educating the public about online threats.

The incident highlights the vulnerability of social media platforms to foreign interference and radicalization. Swecker warns that hostile nations could easily use the internet to incite violent crimes in the United States, citing ISIS's success in radicalizing individuals online as a concern for other countries like Russia, China, and Iran.

While not advocating for a culture of vigilantism, Swecker cautions that if someone makes a threat against an individual, it should be reported. "If you know somebody who says 'I'm going to kill the President,' pass that on," he advises, as he urges Americans to remain vigilant in recognizing online threats and promoting transparency within law enforcement agencies.
 
Man... this is so deep 🤯. Think about it, what kind of society do we have when even 20-year-old kids can feel like they're above the law? Like, Crooks was making these super disturbing posts and people are just chillin' because it's "right-wing" extremism? What does that say about us as a country? We gotta ask ourselves if we're just selectively seeing the threats online because of how our brains work 🤔. And what about all those times when someone says something crazy on social media, but nobody bats an eye until it gets serious? That's like living in a bubble, man... oblivious to the real issues 🌐.

And Swecker's right, if even half of Trump's assassin had that kind of digital footprint, we should've seen some red flags way earlier. What does that say about our ability to recognize and report online threats? It's not just about Crooks or Trump; it's about how we're all connected online. If we can't protect ourselves from radicalization, what else are we gonna let happen? 🤷‍♂️
 
🚨 I mean, can you believe this? The FBI's response to Thomas Crooks' social media posts was super weak 🤦‍♂️. If they had taken those threats seriously from the start, we might not have seen what happened at that rally in Pennsylvania 🤕. Swecker is right on point when he says there was a bias against right-wing extremism 🚫. It's like, if someone's making threats against the President from the left side of the aisle, it gets treated differently 💁‍♀️.

And yeah, social media platforms are a huge problem 📱. We need better systems in place to detect and prevent online radicalization 🔒. It's not just about national security; it's also about keeping our citizens safe 😕. Swecker's warning is spot on 👊. We need more transparency from law enforcement agencies, especially when it comes to online threats 📝.

It's time for the FBI to step up their game and be more proactive in addressing these types of threats 🔥. If someone's making a threat against the President, report it immediately 🚨. Don't wait until it's too late 😬. We need to stay vigilant and hold our law enforcement agencies accountable 💪.
 
The FBI dropped the ball big time! I mean, come on, if Crooks was posting all those extreme views and threatening Trump's life on social media, it's only basic protocol for them to step in ASAP! But noooo, they just kinda... shrugged it off 🤷‍♂️. And now we're paying the price with Trump almost getting whacked at that rally? It's a total missed opportunity for transparency and education, if you ask me. Swecker is right on point about the whole bias thing - if it's left-wing extremism, they just ignore it, but if it's right-wing, they wanna know all about it 🤔. We need more accountability from our law enforcement agencies, stat!
 
🚨 this is so messed up how could they let it slip through the cracks like that? i mean crooks was making super clear threats and they still didn't act 🤦‍♂️ and now ppl are getting hurt because of it. we need to be holding our law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions, or lack thereof 😡. transparency is key here, we need to know what happened behind closed doors so we can learn from it and do better in the future. and btw, what's with the perceived bias towards right-wing extremism? shouldn't they be treating all threats equally? 🤔
 
The FBI's handling of this case is a perfect example of how social media can be a wild west for extremist ideologies 🤠. I mean, come on, if someone makes a threat like that against Trump, it should have been taken seriously ASAP! The fact that they were hesitant to acknowledge the threats because of some perceived bias towards right-wing extremism is just a recipe for disaster ⚠️.

I think this highlights the need for more transparency from law enforcement agencies and social media platforms 📊. If half of Crooks' online footprint was true, it's no wonder the FBI missed those opportunities to stop him 😬. And now we're playing catch-up because of their reluctance to share information 💔.

It's like they say in politics: if you're not paying attention, you're going to get caught off guard 🚨. In this case, the public needs to be more vigilant in recognizing online threats and holding our law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions 👮‍♂️. Otherwise, we risk having more incidents like this happen in the future 😬.
 
🤦‍♂️ I mean, come on, 24 years at the FBI and Chris Swecker still thinks there's some kind of bias against right-wing extremism? It's not like that's a thing, dude. 😒 The FBI has to follow their protocols and procedures, but that doesn't mean they're immune to making mistakes.

I'm not buying that "C- grade" label either. Sounds like Swecker is just trying to make himself look good. What does he know about the investigation? 🤔 Anyway, it's still crazy that Crooks was able to get so far before someone stepped in. I mean, you can't just ignore threats online and expect everything to work out.

And what's with Swecker calling for all the relevant files to be released? Is he just trying to stir up drama or something? 🤷‍♂️ The public should be able to see the information, sure, but do we really need Swecker breathing down Wray's neck about it? Get over yourself, dude. 😒
 
🚨 just saw this news about Thomas Crooks and I'm shook 🤯 how could the FBI have messed up like this? it's like they were too scared to acknowledge the threat or something... i mean, I know we gotta be careful not to jump to conclusions but come on! 🙄 20 yrs old making threats against Trump and the FBI is all like "meh" ... meanwhile Crooks goes ahead and tries to assassinate him and it's just a whole big mess 🤯 Swecker's right though, there needs to be more transparency about online threats so we can all stay safe online... 🕵️‍♀️
 
🚨 gotta think about this one - how can we trust our institutions if they're gonna sweep under the rug threats like this? it's not just about Crooks, but what happens when this kind of thinking goes unchecked? 🤔
 
Man... this whole thing is just crazy 🤯. I mean, think about it, folks. We've got a system in place to protect us from harm, but sometimes that same system can be our own worst enemy due to lack of transparency or bias. It's like, we gotta be aware of our own blind spots, you know? 🕵️‍♂️ This whole incident with Thomas Crooks is a harsh reminder that online threats are real and can have devastating consequences.

It's not just about the FBI or law enforcement; it's about each and every one of us being responsible for reporting suspicious activity. We all gotta do our part to create a culture of vigilance, where we're not afraid to speak up when something doesn't feel right. If you see something, say something... it's that simple 🗣️. But at the same time, let's also be careful not to jump to conclusions or spread misinformation. We gotta find that balance and stay informed. It's a tough road ahead, but I think we can get there if we work together 💪.
 
🤯 I mean, can you even believe what happened? The FBI had so many chances to stop Crooks from carrying out this assassination attempt but they blew it 🙈! It's like they were trying to sweep the whole thing under the rug and not want to acknowledge that right-wing extremism is a serious issue. 🤦‍♂️ I mean, if half of what's claimed about Crooks' digital footprint is true, it should've been huge red flags for the FBI a long time ago 🔴⚠️. But nope, they just seemed to be in denial or something 😒. Now Trump was grazed by gunfire and it's all because of their lack of transparency 🤕! We need more people like Chris Swecker calling out the FBI for this kind of negligence 💬!
 
🚨 The FBI's handling of Thomas Crooks' social media posts is a major concern 🤔. I mean, think about it - if even half of his digital footprint is true, it should have raised some serious red flags 🚨. But apparently, the Bureau was hesitant to acknowledge these threats, citing a perceived bias towards right-wing extremism 🙅‍♂️. That's just not right 💯. As Swecker said, there was an unwritten rule that if it was left-wing, they'd gloss over it 👀.

And let me tell you, this lack of transparency created a perfect storm for conspiracy theories to spread and multiply 🔥. Before Crooks even attempted the assassination, there were already rumors flying around 🤯. It's mind-boggling that the FBI didn't take action sooner 💪.

Now, I know some people might say Swecker is overstepping his bounds or accusing Wray of stonewalling 🤔. But come on, if someone makes a threat against an individual, it should be reported 💬. The fact that the Bureau didn't do so until after the fact is inexcusable 😒.

And let's not forget about the bigger picture here 🌐. Our social media platforms are vulnerable to foreign interference and radicalization 🚨. Hostile nations could easily use the internet to incite violent crimes in our country 👊. We need to be more vigilant, folks! 💡
 
Ugh man... can't believe this 🤦‍♂️. FBI basically dropped the ball on Crooks' threat, and it's a total shame 💔. I mean, if half of that guy's social media posts were legit, shouldn't they have been all over it like white on rice? It's crazy how some people in power can be so clueless 🤯.

I'm not saying this is entirely the FBI's fault, but Chris Swecker's got a point - if there was an unwritten rule about ignoring right-wing extremism, that's just wrong 😒. And now we've got another potential tragedy on our hands because of it. It's like they're playing catch-up, and people are getting hurt in the process 🚨.

I'm all for transparency, dude 👀. If there's something suspicious going down online, you'd better believe I'll be all over it 💥. But at the same time, we can't just assume everyone who makes a threat is gonna follow through... that's not vigilantism, that's just being responsible 🤓.

Anyway, Reps. Kelly and Fallon are calling out Wray for stonewalling, but Swecker thinks they're just mad 'cause they got punk'd by the FBI 😂. Still, it's all good to see some accountability - hopefully this whole mess gets sorted out soon 💪.
 
OMG, this is so crazy! 🤯 I mean, can you even believe the FBI missed those red flags about Crooks? 😱 It's like, what were they thinking?! 🙄 And now we're living with the consequences of their lack of action... like, Trump almost got shot! 💥 That's just horrific.

But at the same time, I'm like, where was the transparency? 🤔 The FBI should be all about keeping the public safe and informed. Swecker is totally right, if they had been more open with us, maybe we wouldn't have those conspiracy theories spreading like wildfire... you know?

And what's even more alarming is that this could happen again. Like, what if some other country tries to incite violence online? 🚨 We need to be so much more vigilant about online threats and radicalization! 💡 We can't just sit back and hope for the best, we gotta take action and educate each other!

I'm all for transparency in law enforcement, and I think Swecker is calling it out right. Wray needs to come clean on this ASAP! 📝
 
Ugh, this is just getting out of hand 🤯🔥. Can't believe the FBI didn't take these threats seriously enough. It's like they were waiting for Crooks to do something big before they acted 💸. And now we're dealing with a whole lot of conspiracy theories and speculation... it's just so frustrating 😒. And what really gets my goat is that Swecker is saying this could have been prevented if they'd released more info about the investigation 🤐. I mean, come on! The public has a right to know what's going on here 👀. And another thing, if Crooks was making these threats, shouldn't we be talking about why he wasn't flagged by social media companies sooner? 😔 I'm just so fed up with all the noise around this 🗣️.
 
🤔 this whole thing is just so messed up... think about it, a 20-yr-old dude makes some disturbing posts online and the FBI basically does nothing, meanwhile we're talking about an assassination attempt that could've been prevented... what's even more worrying is that there's this perceived bias within the Bureau towards right-wing extremism, which is like, super concerning in itself... I mean, shouldn't they be treating all threats equally, regardless of ideology? and now we have these conspiracy theories spreading left and right, while the truth about Crooks' investigation is being kept under wraps... it's like, how are we supposed to trust our law enforcement when they're not transparent about this stuff? 🤷‍♂️
 
omg how did they miss this? it's like they were playing russian roulette with national security 🤯 crooks was clearly a ticking time bomb and the fbi just let him tick away before he finally blew his top 🚨 i mean come on chris swecker you're basically saying that the fbi has an unwritten rule against investigating left-wing extremism? that's just whack, dude 😂 but seriously though if half of trump's assassin's online stuff is true then how did they miss it entirely? what kind of vetting process were they using? 🤔 i think swecker's right on the money when he says we need more transparency from the fbi and that americans need to be more vigilant about reporting threats online 💡
 
Ugh, this is so messed up 🤯. The FBI's handling of Thomas Crooks' social media posts was insane 🙄. Like, they totally dropped the ball on this one. If even half of that guy's digital footprint was legit, it would've been a huge red flag for them to start with. But nope, they just glossed over it and let the situation spiral out of control 🔥.

And now we're seeing how easy it is for foreign nations to use social media to radicalize people and incite violent crimes 🌎. It's like, this is a huge vulnerability that our government needs to address ASAP 💪. But instead of addressing the root problem, they're just calling out the person who blew the whistle on the FBI ( Chris Swecker) for being transparent 😒.

I mean, I'm not saying Swecker is perfect or anything, but his warnings should be taken seriously 🙏. We need to be more vigilant about online threats and we need law enforcement agencies to be more transparent about their investigations 💬. This whole situation just highlights the need for better oversight and accountability within our government 🤝. Fingers crossed that Swecker's concerns will lead to real change 🌈.
 
🤔 I'm just catching up on this now... the FBI's handling of Thomas Crooks' social media posts is a huge red flag for me 🚨. It seems like they were too scared to take action because it was a right-wing extremist, which is absolutely unacceptable. What if the roles were reversed and a left-wing extremist made similar threats? Would we be seeing the same level of silence from the FBI? 🤷‍♀️

I also think this incident highlights how social media platforms are not doing enough to prevent online radicalization 🤖. If they could do a better job of monitoring and reporting suspicious activity, maybe we wouldn't see these kinds of threats in the first place.

It's crazy that it took until after Trump was grazed by gunfire for someone to come forward with this info 🙄. The FBI's hesitation is not only a missed opportunity but also a risk to public safety. I'm all for transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to our law enforcement agencies 📊.
 
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