Trump isn’t getting a chance to breathe. Now the highest law enforcement in the land is paying him a visit.
And the FBI knocked on Trump’s door for this breathtaking reason.
The FBI has announced it wants to interview former President Donald Trump as the victim of the July 13 assassination attempt, aiming to get his firsthand account of the incident.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh office, described it as a “standard victim interview,” emphasizing the importance of understanding Trump’s perspective on the events.
“We want to get his perspective on what he observed,” Agent Rojek stated, according to the Associated Press.
This announcement follows the FBI’s delayed acknowledgment that Mr. Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet, either whole or fragmented. It’s puzzling why the FBI took more than two weeks after the shooting to seek this crucial interview.
The Trump campaign confirmed to The Washington Times that the FBI had yet to interview Mr. Trump, who was targeted by a 20-year-old gunman at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Thomas J. Baker, a former agent involved in the 1981 investigation of President Reagan’s shooting, called the delay an “absolute disgrace.”
Baker, who assigned two agents to speak with Reagan immediately after the incident, highlighted the importance of quickly interviewing victim-witnesses like Reagan and Trump. “Even if they don’t end up providing new details, their voice is important,” he said.
FBI Director Christopher Wray’s recent testimony to Congress raised eyebrows when he cast doubt on Mr. Trump’s assertion that he was struck by a bullet, a view supported by emergency room doctors and the former White House physician.
Even The New York Times, after conducting photo and audio analysis, concluded that Mr. Trump was likely hit by the first of the gunman’s eight rounds.
On Friday, the FBI reversed Mr. Wray’s doubt, confirming that the former president was indeed struck in the ear by “a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle.”
New revelations have emerged about law enforcement’s awareness of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, long before he took aim at Mr. Trump.
Secret Service countersnipers exchanged messages about Crooks’ suspicious behavior over 90 minutes before the shooting. Despite these alerts, authorities lost track of Crooks until shortly before the shots were fired.
Secret Service snipers ultimately neutralized Crooks within seconds after he opened fire, but the incident has sparked controversy over security lapses.
Investigators discovered photos of high-profile figures on Crooks’ phone, including Mr. Trump, President Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
He had registered for the Butler rally on July 7 and had been researching other events, including those involving President Biden and the Democratic National Convention.
Crooks’ preparations included a visit to a shooting range the day before the rally and the discovery of an armored tactical vest, four magazines of ammunition, and two makeshift explosive devices in his car.
The incident has led to a bipartisan push for accountability, resulting in the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle less than 10 days after the shooting.
The tragic event also claimed the life of former fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, who was shielding his family, and severely wounded two other men, 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, who are expected to recover.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
