{"id":20519,"date":"2026-01-11T22:03:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T22:03:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/negatius.biz\/?p=20519"},"modified":"2026-01-11T22:03:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T22:03:37","slug":"the-fbi-rejected-tucker-carlsons-claim-that-it-hid-thomas-crooks-online-activity-or-said-he-lacked-an-online-footprint-stating-it-never-made-such-a-claim-the-dispute-centers-on-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/negatius.biz\/?p=20519","title":{"rendered":"The FBI rejected Tucker Carlson\u2019s claim that it hid Thomas Crooks\u2019 online activity or said he lacked an online footprint, stating it never made such a claim. The dispute centers on Carlson\u2019s assertion that evidence of Crooks\u2019 online posts contradicts the FBI\u2019s narrative, which the agency denies."},"content":{"rendered":"

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has publicly accused the Federal Bureau of Investigation of misleading the public about the online activity of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on July 13, 2024. Carlson claimed that the FBI told the public Crooks had \u201cno online footprint\u201d and then presented what he described as extensive online evidence \u2014 including multiple social media accounts, emails, and archived digital files \u2014 that he asserts contradicts that assertion. In response, the FBI\u2019s Rapid Response<\/strong> account on X (formerly Twitter) flatly rejected Carlson\u2019s claim, stating, \u201cThis FBI has never said Thomas Crooks had no online footprint. Ever.\u201d The agency insists Carlson\u2019s interpretation misrepresents both its official statements and investigative findings, emphasizing that the statement attributed to the bureau was never formally issued by its current leadership.<\/p>\n


On July 13, 2024, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Crooks ascended a rooftop outside the event and fired at least eight shots from an AR-15-style rifle toward the crowd, killing one attendee, injuring multiple others, and grazing Trump\u2019s ear before a Secret Service sniper neutralized and killed him at the scene. The FBI quickly identified Crooks as the suspected shooter and seized his digital devices, including cellphones, laptops, and flash drives, for analysis. Investigators unlocked and reviewed many electronic records, uncovering various online searches related to political figures, rallies, and other topics, yet they have not released a comprehensive public inventory of all online activity tied to Crooks \u2014 a situation that has fueled debate and speculation.<\/p>\n


According to independent fact-checking and official reports, the FBI\u2019s forensic teams did gain access to Crooks\u2019 phone shortly after the shooting and have been analyzing his digital history. Officials found he conducted searches about political leaders, mass shootings, and the rally site itself, and also attempted to access encrypted platforms that posed challenges for investigators. While Crooks\u2019 online footprint was not initially well-understood, the bureau has never publicly asserted he lacked all internet activity; rather, authorities noted portions of his online history were sparse or difficult to access, especially encrypted content. Much of what has been widely shared on social media about Crooks \u2014 including claims he left no footprint at all \u2014 has been contested or corrected by fact-checkers.<\/p>\n


In mid-November 2025, Carlson released a roughly 35-minute video on X claiming it included material the FBI \u201chas worked hard to make sure you haven\u2019t seen.\u201d He said this video showed Crooks\u2019 Google Drive footage of him dry-firing a weapon and pointed to numerous accounts he claims are tied to Crooks across platforms including Gmail, Snapchat, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, Discord, and YouTube. Carlson presented these as evidence of a \u201crobust online presence\u201d that he argues contradicts the bureau\u2019s purported narrative of little or no digital footprint. He contended the FBI\u2019s alleged failure to disclose these digital activities reflects broader institutional opacity.<\/p>\n


The FBI\u2019s Rapid Response account underscored that Carlson\u2019s claims mischaracterized the bureau\u2019s statements and that at no point did the current FBI formally assert Crooks had no online footprint. The account also drew attention to the fact that the Rapid Response social media presence was created after the 2024 shooting and is focused specifically on countering misinformation. Some online users shared screenshots indicating a Community Note once referenced a July 2024 comment from a former FBI deputy director, but it was later removed and \u2014 even if accurate \u2014 would not refute the FBI\u2019s contention regarding official statements. Carlson dismissed questions about authenticity checks on the alleged accounts, calling the bureau\u2019s question about verification \u201cconfusing.\u201d<\/p>\n


This dispute highlights broader tensions in the aftermath of one of the most consequential political violence incidents in recent U.S. history. Critics of federal institutions see Carlson\u2019s reporting as a corrective to opaque disclosures and a sign that agencies might selectively release information. Supporters of the FBI argue that Carlson\u2019s interpretation conflates speculation with official statements, and that imprecise language coupled with social media amplification can distort public understanding and erode trust. While the FBI continues to analyze Crooks\u2019 devices and pursue investigative leads \u2014 including motive, online behavior, and encrypted content \u2014 the public debate over transparency, institutional accountability, and media narratives persists. Independent reporting, legislative inquiries, and further declassification efforts may continue shaping the record and influence how the public ultimately understands both the attack and the official response to it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has publicly accused the Federal Bureau of Investigation of misleading the public about the online activity of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe FBI rejected Tucker Carlson\u2019s claim that it hid Thomas Crooks\u2019 online activity or said he lacked an online footprint, stating it never made such a claim. The dispute centers on Carlson\u2019s assertion that evidence of Crooks\u2019 online posts contradicts the FBI\u2019s narrative, which the agency denies. - magazine24<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/negatius.biz\/?p=20519\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The FBI rejected Tucker Carlson\u2019s claim that it hid Thomas Crooks\u2019 online activity or said he lacked an online footprint, stating it never made such a claim. 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