FBI Director Kash Patel issued a forceful rebuttal to claims made by broadcaster Tucker Carlson, who suggested the Bureau concealed critical information about Thomas Crooks — the young man who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump in 2024. Carlson alleged that Crooks’ online activity and background were far more extensive than publicly acknowledged and insinuated that the shooter may not have acted alone.
Patel directly refuted those assertions, outlining the scope of the year-long investigation and emphasizing that no evidence supports Carlson’s theory. According to Patel, the FBI conducted more than 1,000 interviews, analyzed nearly 500,000 digital files and electronic records, and reviewed Crooks’ social-media accounts, financial activity and personal communications. Agents also examined his travel history, purchases and possible affiliations.
The findings, Patel said, were unequivocal: Crooks planned and executed the attack by himself. Investigators found no operational partners, no links to extremist groups and no signs of external direction. Patel added that the FBI released its final report earlier this year after coordinating with the Secret Service and other federal agencies.
Patel also criticized Carlson’s narrative as harmful, noting that public distrust in law-enforcement investigations can impede national-security work and feed misinformation. The allegations, he warned, undermine the efforts of agents who spent months reconstructing Crooks’ actions leading up to the shooting.
Carlson has not retracted his statements, and his claims continue to circulate widely online. Meanwhile, Patel reaffirmed that the Bureau stands by its conclusion — that Thomas Crooks acted alone — and that no evidence uncovered to date suggests otherwise.