{"id":2568975,"date":"2026-02-11T19:32:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T00:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-senator-does-deep-dive-on-trump-assassination-attempt-and-remains-troubled-by-unresolved-questions\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T19:34:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T00:34:47","slug":"gop-senator-does-deep-dive-on-trump-assassination-attempt-and-remains-troubled-by-unresolved-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-senator-does-deep-dive-on-trump-assassination-attempt-and-remains-troubled-by-unresolved-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP Senator Does Deep Dive on Trump Assassination Attempt and Remains Troubled by &#8216;Unresolved&#8217; Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgop-senator-does-deep-dive-on-trump-assassination-attempt-and-remains-troubled-by-unresolved-questions%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2568975&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>More then 18 months after Thomas Crooks shot at President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, several key questions about the incident remain unanswered, according to Republican Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania. McCormick, who attended the July 13, 2024 rally where Trump was wounded, says critical questions need to be addressed, as reported by the new York Post. CBS News in July 2025 asked weather Crooks left any written explanation,what his political leanings were,whether the Butler rally was a convenient target or part of a larger plan,if he had bombs or a suicide mission in mind,and other details that remain unclear. In a podcast interview, McCormick described being near the stage and noted concerns about how close the gunman coudl get, suggesting a potential security breach and a lack of full clarity about what happened. The piece also notes that Crooks had previously posted a YouTube comment in 2020 advocating terrorism-style attacks,and it cites other Republicans,including JD Vance,who say they do not have a satisfactory explanation for Crooks\u2019 motivations,hinting at a broader discussion about trust and openness in the inquiry.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>More than 18 months after Thomas Matthew Crooks shot President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, questions central to understanding that event remain unanswered, according to a Republican U.S. senator who is not satisfied with that state of affairs.<\/p>\n<p>Republican Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, who attended the rally where Trump was wounded on July 13, 2024, says critical questions need answers, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/02\/11\/us-news\/sen-dave-mccormick-tells-pod-force-one-hes-not-satisfied-with-butler-assassination-attempt-probes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In July 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/lifeofthomascrooks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBS News<\/a> asked some of the questions: &ldquo;Crooks left no known written explanation. His political leanings remain unclear. Was the Butler rally just a convenient option for a young man planning mass violence, or was he committed to shooting Mr. Trump? Did he have a plan for his bombs? Did he understand he was on a suicide mission?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>McCormick vented his concerns Wednesday on &ldquo;Pod Force One,&rdquo; a podcast hosted by New York Post columnist Miranda Devine.<\/p>\n<p>McCormick has a unique perspective on the near tragedy. In the &ldquo;Pod Force One&rdquo; interview, he recounted that he was campaigning for his Senate seat at the time of the Butler rally and that Trump had actually invited him to come on stage just before the shooting. But Trump changed his mind almost immediately, when McCormick had gotten close to the lectern where Trump stood.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He says, &lsquo;I want to talk about the border,&#8217;&rdquo; McCormick said, quoting Trump. &ldquo;&lsquo;Dave, go sit back down. I&rsquo;ll have you come up in a little bit.&rsquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Within a minute or so of sitting down, I heard the shots,&rdquo; McCormick said.<\/p>\n<p>As a man who was very nearly on stage with Trump at the time of the shooting and as a Pennsylvania elected official, it was clear that McCormick had given the incident a great deal of thought.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not satisfied about what happened because when you go to the place and you see how close it was, the idea that a lone gunman &mdash; I&rsquo;m typically not one who&rsquo;s prone to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jfks-grandson-scorns-trumps-move-to-declassify-assassination-files-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"JFK\u2019s grandson scorns ...\u2019s move to declassify assassination files - Washington Examiner\">conspiracy theories &#038;mdash<\/a>; but the fact that a lone gunman could get up there at that distance,&rdquo; McCormick told Devine.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It was less than 150 yards &hellip; seems just hard to imagine such a breach &mdash; and such a breach in security, such a breach in protocol,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>The entire interview is below. The video starts with McCormick&rsquo;s &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not satisfied&rdquo; comments.<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-embed\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sen. McCormick: We need answers on Butler assassin and regime change in Iran is certain\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/POdQl7V4Qts?start=1374&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Glimpses have emerged.<\/p>\n<p>In August 2020, Crooks posted a YouTube comment that said, &ldquo;IMO [in my opinion] the only way to fight the gov is with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-biden-admin-hid-online-activity-of-trumps-would-be-killer\/\" title=\"Report: Biden Admin Hid Online Activity Of ...&#039;s Would-Be Killer\">terrorism style attacks<\/a>, sneak a bomb into an essential building and set it off before anyone sees you, track down any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tpusa-official-calls-newly-exposed-link-between-thomas-crooks-and-tyler-robinson-a-five-alarm-fire\/\" title=\"TPUSA Official Calls Newly Exposed Link Between ... and Tyler Robinson a &#039;Five Alarm Fire&#039;\">important people\/politicians\/military leaders<\/a> etc and try to assassinate them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Devine asked, &ldquo;Such a feat for a 20-year-old with no <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >supposedly social media presence<\/a>, although we did find that he did have it, but it was kept from us. Why?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure. But I think it&rsquo;s one of those things that I am unresolved,&rdquo; McCormick said. &ldquo;We go back to the public trust, public confidence, when things aren&rsquo;t fully wrestled to the ground, even if there&rsquo;s legitimate answers, you breed mistrust &hellip;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;And the truth is always better when you just bring air onto it &hellip; and the American people, they can take it,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They can take the truth &mdash; whether it&rsquo;s about JFK&rsquo;s killing, or whether it&rsquo;s about the Epstein files, or whether it&rsquo;s about the attempt on President Trump&rsquo;s life at Butler &mdash; the American people, unless it&rsquo;s a matter of national security where something is going to compromise our capacity to protect the American people, I think, more is better,&rdquo; McCormick said.<\/p>\n<p>McCormick is not the only Republican with questions. In an interview published last week by the U.K.&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-15532483\/jd-vance-thomas-crooks-donald-trump.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>, Vice President JD Vance said he remains in the dark as to the reason Crooks tried to kill Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know,&rdquo; he said, calling Crooks a &ldquo;loner who got radicalized on the internet.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He was a Trump guy at some point in his life and then about six months or so before he took a shot at the president of the United States, or maybe it was a little bit beforehand, he went from very radically pro-Trump to very radically anti-Trump,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have not gotten a satisfactory answer to how Thomas Crooks went from radically pro-Trump to so radically anti-Trump. Maybe we will never know the answer to that,&rdquo; Vance said. &ldquo;Sometimes motivations go unsolved.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A little over a year and a half after the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting at a rally for President Trump, several key questions about the incident remain unresolved, according to Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, who attended the event. He says it\u2019s unclear why Thomas Crooks acted the way he did\u2014whether the attack was a planned mass violence act, whether he intended to bomb targets, or whether he viewed the rally as a convenient moment. CBS News raised similar questions in July 2025, noting Crooks left no known written explanation and that his political views are unclear. In a recent appearance on the Pod Force One podcast, McCormick recalled that Trump had invited him on stage shortly before the shooting, but changed his mind as McCormick drew near the podium, underscoring concerns about security given how close the shooter was. The article also mentions Crooks\u2019s past online comments and other Republicans\u2019 questions about what motivated the shift in Crooks\u2019 views toward Trump<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2568976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/trump-butler-for-Feb.-11-2026.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[38002,3976,5894,34974,73628],"class_list":["post-2568975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-gop-senator","tag-investigation","tag-politics","tag-trump-assassination-attempt","tag-unresolved-questions"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/trump-butler-for-Feb.-11-2026.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2568975"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2568979,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568975\/revisions\/2568979"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2568976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2568975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2568975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2568975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}