Former President Donald Trump has agreed to an interview with the FBI regarding the assassination attempt against him earlier this month, an FBI official disclosed to reporters on Monday. This agreement follows Trump’s vocal criticism of the FBI’s investigation, including a call for FBI Director Christopher Wray’s resignation.
Trump was particularly upset by Wray’s congressional testimony last week, which suggested uncertainty about whether a bullet actually pierced Trump’s ear. In response, the FBI issued a statement confirming that Trump was struck by either a bullet or a fragmented portion of one.
Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, emphasized that interviewing victims of crime is a routine part of their investigative process. “We want to get his perspective on what he observed, so, just like any other witness to the crime, as well as get his perspective on what occurred to him during that event,” Rojek said during a telephone briefing. Details about the timing of the interview were not provided, but it will be conducted similarly to other victim interviews.
A spokesperson for Trump’s presidential campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment. On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump ridiculed Wray’s comments, linking them to unsubstantiated claims about the FBI’s role in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
The FBI provided new information about the investigation into the shooting, which occurred at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The suspected gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was found to have used pseudonyms for multiple online purchases of gun paraphernalia and chemicals for creating explosive devices. Two devices were found in Crooks’ car at the rally site, and another was recovered at his home.
Rojek detailed that Crooks bought a ladder on the day of the shooting, which investigators believe he used to gain access to a rooftop with a clear view of the rally stage. Crooks was first identified by law enforcement at around 5 p.m., about 40 minutes before the shooting, and was seen using a rangefinder and browsing news websites on his phone shortly before the incident. He fired eight shots before being killed by a Secret Service sharpshooter.
The FBI is working to establish a timeline of Crooks’ actions, largely based on dash-camera video and security footage, but is not evaluating the performance of the Secret Service or other law enforcement agencies regarding the incident. FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate emphasized that the investigation’s focus is on Crooks’ actions, not on the security procedures in place during the rally. Abbate is scheduled to testify at a joint Senate Judiciary Committee and Homeland Security Committee hearing on Tuesday.
