How an attempted Trump assassin’s online trail shows radicalisation, violence and identity confusion

How an attempted Trump assassin’s online trail shows radicalisation, violence and identity confusion

An article in the New York Post has reported that a newly surfaced cache of social media posts, artwork and search histories linked to Thomas Matthew Crooks offers the most detailed look yet at the young man accused of attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The material, shared with reporters by sources familiar with the digital analysis, points to a deeply troubled online presence shaped by violent ideation, political extremities, and shifting beliefs that evolved sharply in the years before the attack.

Investigators have not officially confirmed whether all of the accounts belong to Crooks, but the sources say they traced them through email linkages and long-standing usernames. What emerges from the digital footprint is an unstable blend of racially abusive commentary, fascination with firearms and famous assassinations, and a later turn toward ambiguous identity expressions and graphic, violent illustrations.

According to the sources, two DeviantArt profiles believed to be associated with Crooks used they/them pronouns and posted artwork depicting shootings and brutal scenes, some set against trans pride flag colours. One image titled “How he lost his eye” showed a gun execution, while another labelled “Killing pedos” featured a rifle-wielding figure standing over two bodies. The accounts also included repeated searches for muscular women and female bodybuilders, which sources described as a fixation alongside the violent themes.

Search histories linked to Crooks from as early as 2019 show deep interest in terrorism tactics, high-velocity ammunition, body armour, and past mass attacks. The searches reportedly included the Oklahoma City bombing, the Pulse nightclub shooting, and how to fire an AR-15 rapidly or construct explosives. He also watched extensive content related to assassinations and counter-government violence.

In public comment sections, Crooks’ tone shifted dramatically over time. In high-school years he appeared to support Trump and posted violently antisemitic and anti-immigrant remarks. But by early 2020, during the pandemic, he criticised Trump for resisting social-distancing mandates and began using language associated with nihilistic online subcultures. His comments turned increasingly hostile toward political institutions in general.

Federal authorities have not verified the authenticity of the digital accounts, and the FBI declined to comment on the material. Crooks was killed by Secret Service snipers moments after firing the shot that grazed Trump and killed a local firefighter. The new findings, if confirmed, would deepen questions about how a troubled young man accumulated years of violent interests and extreme rhetoric before carrying out one of the most shocking political attacks in recent American history.