Politics
Man Who Shot President Trump in the Ear at Rally Had His Cremation Paid for by ‘Anonymous Donor’
The man who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, reportedly had his cremation paid for by an anonymous donor.
According to federal records reviewed by the New York Post for an article published Tuesday, September 15, federal investigators interviewed the father of Thomas Crooks, who was killed by a member of the Secret Service counter-sniper team after being shot in the head.
“Anonymous donor paid for cremation,” read a note at the end of a summary of an interview with Crooks’ father, Matthew.
The Post reported that the documents stated Matthew was “retired” and that his wife was on leave from work, implying that they couldn’t pay for funeral arrangements at the time.
There have been multiple security incidents involving the sitting 80-year-old president. During the alleged assassination attempt at the July 2024 campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump was wounded in his ear.
Two days after the incident, a statement from then-U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle stated, “Secret Service personnel on the ground moved quickly during the incident, with our counter sniper team neutralizing the shooter and our agents implementing protective measures to ensure the safety of former president Donald Trump.”
The latest information regarding 20-year-old Crooks’ cremation was included in documents provided to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) as part of his ongoing inquiry into the assassination attempt.
The Post reported that the information about the anonymous donor seems to have been gleaned from a lawyer for the family.
In a preliminary investigative report, Rep. Clay Higgins stated that his “effort to examine Crooks’ body on Monday, August 5, [2024] caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact.”
“The FBI released the body for cremation 10 days after [July 13],” Higgins stated. “On [July 23], Crooks was gone. Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc. Yes, Butler County Coroner technically had legal authority over the body, but I spoke with the Coroner, and he would have never released Crooks’ body to the family for cremation or burial without specific permission from the FBI.”
Most recently, Trump was put in harm’s way during a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25.
