Questions are being raised among some supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump over the circumstances surrounding the 2024 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, despite official findings that the attack was real and carried out by a lone gunman.
The incident took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was addressing supporters when a gunman opened fire, grazing his ear. The moment, in which Trump raised his fist and shouted “fight,” quickly became one of the most widely circulated images of the campaign.
Investigations by the FBI concluded that the attacker, Thomas Matthew Crooks, acted alone. The shooting left one attendee, Corey Comperatore, dead and injured two others.
However, some figures within Trump’s political base have continued to question aspects of the incident. Among them is Marjorie Taylor Greene, who suggested there are unanswered questions surrounding the attack.
Posting on X, Greene said: “I’m not calling the Butler assassination a hoax, but there are a lot of questions that deserve public answers. I’m asking why won’t Trump release the information about Matthew Crooks? Did he actually act alone? If not, who is behind him and who helped him? Why the cover-up?”
The White House has dismissed such claims, stating that only a “fool” would believe the shooting was staged. Other supporters have echoed similar concerns. Activist Trisha Hope wrote: “Corey Comperatore’s wife and daughters deserve to know why Corey, a true American patriot and hero, was murdered in Butler. Trump said repeatedly, ‘I am your retribution.’ Where is the retribution?”
Comperatore, a 50-year-old retired firefighter, was killed while shielding his family during the attack. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro described him as a hero.
His widow, Helen Comperatore, has also spoken publicly about the incident, saying: “All I’ve wanted this entire time was to sit down with the men who screwed up that day and find out why. Why? Why at that rally? Why at that one in Butler?”
Authorities have maintained that Crooks acted alone. The 20-year-old, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot dead at the scene by a government sniper.
Investigators found that Crooks had no clear ties to wider groups or networks, though questions about his motives and background have continued to attract public attention.