FBI wants to know Trump's view of the assassination
The relationship between Trump and the FBI is not the best. The former president and the federal police disagree on whether he was hit by a whole or only part of a bullet in the July 13 assassination attempt. A questioning of Trump by the FBI is now on the agenda to clarify the sequence of events.
Former US President Donald Trump has agreed to be questioned by the FBI in connection with the assassination attempt on him. "They will come to me on Thursday," he said in an interview with the "Fox News" channel. Kevin Rojek, special investigator for the FBI office in Pittsburgh, described the planned conversation as "a normal questioning of a victim." They want to hear Trump's version of events. Trump had repeatedly criticized the work of the FBI during his presidency.
The investigation into the motives of the 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, who tried to shoot the Republican presidential candidate at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, continues. According to Rojek, it is still unclear whether it was a whole projectile or fragments that hit Trump's ear. FBI Director Wray said on Wednesday that there are doubts as to whether the hit on Trump's ear was a bullet or a shrapnel. Trump dismissed Wray's remarks on Thursday and accused him of political bias. "It was unfortunately a bullet that hit my ear, and it hit hard. There was no glass, there were no fragments," he explained.
The attacker was already identified as a suspect by security personnel before the shots were fired. The police had the attacker of former US President Donald Trump in their sights for over an hour before the assassination attempt. "The shooter was identified as a suspect," said Rojek. A local police officer took a photo of the man and forwarded it to colleagues at the scene of Trump's campaign appearance. Half an hour later, he was observed using a rangefinder and checking news websites on the internet.
At 17:56, less than 20 minutes before the shots were fired, and again at 18:06, he was captured on a police camera climbing onto the roof of a house from where he fired at presidential candidate Trump. One man in the audience died, and two other men were seriously injured.
Motive of the attacker remains unclear
The assassination has raised many questions about the security measures in place and the role of the Secret Service, which is responsible for Trump's protection. The head of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned a few days after the assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The FBI is trying to piece together the sequence of events on July 13 before the assassination to support the investigation, said Rojek. However, the FBI is not the agency responsible for investigating security gaps in Trump's protection.
The motive of the 20-year-old attacker, who was shot dead by security forces immediately after the assassination, remains unclear. He was considered a loner and had amassed a number of weapons as well as materials for explosives. On the internet, he had researched previous mass shootings, explosives, and the assassination attempt on the Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Trump has expressed his agreement to be questioned by the FBI, following their interest in clarifying the sequence of events during the assassination attempt. Despite his past criticisms of the FBI, he is now set to meet with Kevin Rojek, the special investigator, on Thursday.
Amidst the ongoing investigation into the motives of the assassination attempt, the FBI continues to engage with Trump, ensuring that all perspectives concerning the events of July 13 are properly understood.
