this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2024
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[–] Ioughttamow@kbin.run 127 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Hunter Bidens laptop could have stopped this. Dark Brandon will kill again!

[–] grue@lemmy.world 12 points 5 months ago

But SCOTUS says that's all cool and legal, though.

[–] verdare@beehaw.org 88 points 5 months ago (9 children)

I can’t be the only one who didn’t give much weight to the “registered Republican” thing, right? I’ve considered registering as Republican just to do damage control in their primaries, and I know people who’ve done just that.

That being said, if this guy really does turn out to be a Republican I fully expect conservatives to try and gaslight everyone into thinking he was actually Antifa or something.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 33 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Republican, democrat, something else: I think it's all plausible, we don't know anything about the person or their motives yet.

[–] Slovene@feddit.nl 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)

He was probably trying to impress Jodie Foster.

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 9 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Should've tried being a beautiful gay lady I guess.

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[–] Mycatiskai@lemmy.ca 18 points 5 months ago

He did attempt to kill a fascist so he literally is an anti-fascist.

We don't know his reasoning so until that becomes clear questions remain.

He might have been brother of a child rape victim, he might have loved Stormy Daniels until she was soiled by Trump, he might just be a old school Republican tired of the crazy in charge of his party. All seem reasonable things to hate Trump for but none are reason to kill him.

I'd rather Trump face jail time than die from an assassin. Him bitching to his cellie because he isn't allowed to have his phone and Truth Social access is a far better fate for him.

[–] kriz@slrpnk.net 11 points 5 months ago

He was 20 years old. He might have registered republican just to try ways of getting closer to trump

[–] acastcandream@beehaw.org 7 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)
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[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 75 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Maybe some 2nd amendment people still take the defending against tyranny bit seriously.

[–] problematicPanther@lemmy.world 28 points 5 months ago (6 children)

I know I certainly do. But seriously, was the shooter a republican? I've been traveling for the past 48 hours and apparently missed all the fun.

[–] TheMightyCanuck@sh.itjust.works 43 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Allegedly registered republican but also allegedly donated small amount of money to Biden PAC.

Don't count your chickens yet.. Could just be another apolitical psychopath

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 37 points 5 months ago

also allegedly donated small amount of money to Biden PAC.

He donated $15 to a Democrat get out the vote PAC... On inauguration day.

One of the least useful donations ever 😂

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 24 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I mean the guy that nearly got Reagan wanted to impress an actress.

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[–] KoalaUnknown@lemmy.world 67 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Him being registered republican doesn’t necessarily mean he still feels that way. He made a blue political donation. Some people register with a certain party just because their parents are present when they sign up.

I don't think there is currently enough public information to build an accurate profile on him.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 54 points 5 months ago (1 children)

He made a blue political donation

To a GOTV PAC. On inauguration day.

About as useful as tits on a tractor.

[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 21 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Well, if you’re a lonely farmer and there aren’t any single and willing women around, tits on a tractor could be very useful.

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[–] match@pawb.social 38 points 5 months ago (4 children)

He was 20 and registered to vote in 2021 (which is public information), so he wouldn't have had a lot of time to change his mind

[–] KoalaUnknown@lemmy.world 25 points 5 months ago

Trump and the Supreme Court are more than enough reason to change one’s mind.

[–] candybrie@lemmy.world 18 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

At 20, 3 years is definitely a long time.

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[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 9 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Someone with same first and last name as him made a donation after the 2020 election.

[–] Saurok@lemm.ee 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

You can look up the receipt on the FEC and the address is listed as 2506 Milford Drive, which is the same address as his voter registration and what's being reported on the news. I keep seeing this "there is another Thomas Crooks" narrative online and wanted to confirm myself.

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[–] zcd@lemmy.ca 64 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's always the ones you suspect the most

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago (2 children)

You must be the greatest detective the world never had! 😉

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[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 63 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

Unless the late Mr. Crooks jotted down a manifesto or otherwise is discovered to reveal his motive, we're not going to know, and are only able to guess at why he shot at Trump. Let me repeat that: We can only guess and will never know unless we get really lucky.

(One of my favorite details of a shooter incident was Adam Lanza's favorite video game obsession, Dance Dance Revolution since it was still a common opinion that video games trained rampage killers. Tastes in video games and music are about as useful as needing to impress Jodie Foster, or reread The Catcher In the Rye. You may be a lover, Adam, but you ain't no dancer.)

Crooks' choice of weapon (an AR-15–style rifle ) indicates a weapon of convenience. He didn't have the time or means to get something that was more suited to the task. This fits more the profile of a radicalized civilian than a trained operative.

When Al-Qaeda wanted to attack a target (or CIA, or IRA, or any other active group trying to influence a theater of conflict) they'd look at the suicide demographics. What young people are killing themselves in high numbers. Then, in the internet age, it's a matter of finding people who are self-radicalized, who want to express their outrage violently. And then its a matter of grooming that person (in this case very much the way predators groom children) to see the target of interest as the site / VIP / venue of the terror action. The rampage killer / saboteur / terrorist never knows who he's working for or what his cause is, only that by suicide bombing at this site, he'll be heard and known.

Is this to say Crooks was pointed at killing Trump by CIA? Not at all. Trump is an easy viable target, and there are plenty of reasons to be pissed off at him that make sense. But the reason that Crooks had to express his discontent violently has likely very little to do with Trump directly, and whether he's left-wing and wants to stop the US' descent into one-party autocracy, or he's far-right wing and thinks Trump is selling out isn't why he's shooting.

There are however, droves of pre-radicalized war boys in the US, silver paint in hand wanting an opportunity to be witnessed all shiny and chrome into Valhalla. A lot of them can be seen in the alt-right, the incels, the MGTOWs the alpha-male wannabes who have been entirely disregarded since they were teens without explanation or education, and are expected by society to either magically turn into high-paid salarymen, or suffer as losers in a single-occupant dwelling in a dead-end job where they're overworked and underpaid. This lot tends to be a bit dissatisfied with their lot in life.

I'm not saying Crooks is one of these guys, only that it's a big circle on the Venn-diagram, and not a difficult target to fall into. This circle not only has a higher-than-average male suicide rate (which is already high in the general population) but also is where pro-trump militants and the transnational white power movement gets its recruits. And they tend to register Republican.

Again, we don't know, only this might inform our guesses.

[–] FrowingFostek@lemmy.world 21 points 5 months ago (5 children)

No disrespect you wrote so much but, as far my politics are concerned; this dude was a registered republican.

He's right wing and that's what we know.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 21 points 5 months ago (1 children)

A registered party member is just someone who voted in the primary.

The Democratic primaries in my area had a bunch of uncontested seats or I was comfortable with all the candidates, so I registered Republican to vote against Trump.

I'm a registered Republican, but I am not a supporter of the GOP.

[–] III@lemmy.world 15 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Continued information coming out about him confirm he was an active and proud conservative. Quoted students confirmed this and the like-minded alt-right group of kids he hung out with.

Sorry, the "secret democrat" narrative is over.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Source? I'd love to read more and be prepared for future discussions.

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[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] Default_Defect@midwest.social 25 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There were a ton of fake accounts made the second a name was released, excuse me for not taking a screenshot as proof of anything.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 8 points 5 months ago

That's fair, I'm certainly not going to check the account details as that would require having an account myself, like some kind of weird Nazi.

[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 18 points 5 months ago

It doesn't matter. This is the Reichstag Fire.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 18 points 5 months ago

This act of Chinese aggression will not stand!

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 17 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

thoughts and prayers.

[–] Marighost@lemm.ee 10 points 5 months ago (6 children)

Definitely a planned assassination attempt. Used as the rallying call for his supporters. The picture of him holding his fist up just after being shot at proved it; no one, I believe, would be able to muster that sort of gusto after having a real attempt on their life.

[–] bigbuckalex@lemmy.zip 41 points 5 months ago

Lol, you think he got someone to shoot him in the ear on purpose? You're insane

[–] GoodEye8@lemm.ee 25 points 5 months ago (10 children)

Clearly you haven't been pumped up on adrenaline. It can absolutely give you the confidence to act like he did.

And don't you think it's a bit contradictory to not have the gusto to throw your fist in the air after being shot but being stone cold calm before getting shot? If it was planned Trump would've known he's going to get shot at and like the coward he is he wouldn't have just stared at the shooter.

Also we don't know the cartridge of the weapon but if the weapon used 556 or 223, then it's very unlikely it was staged because those would shred Trump if they actually hit him. If it was 9mm or 22 it would be more believable, but even then would you really risk killing the candidate just to prop up votes? He didn't seem to be wearing a BP vest so even smaller rounds would have been life threatening.

I very much doubt it was staged or false flag or anything of the sorts. It just doesn't make sense to me. Trump should get an Oscar if it was planned that way.

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[–] WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 15 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

The revelation that this level of conspiracy theory crazy is so prominent on what I thought was the side of reason has revoked my last shreds of faith in humanity.

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[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 5 months ago

Not with an AR-15 clone. The accuracy on those beyond 100 meters is crap. That was almost assuredly a weapon of convenience.

Now, it's totally possible some operative groomed him to take the shot, if he was already eager enough to make an attack and just needed encouragement / direction. But then even he probably didn't know actually who.

[–] Mambert@beehaw.org 10 points 5 months ago

You can hear on the videos that he was told the shooter was down.

So like, yeah fist pump.

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