In the wake of the attempted assignation of President Donald Trump J. Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, support for the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee is soaring, including gaining support from a former Obama ally.
Trump was wounded while speaking to supporters Saturday night. He was rushed off-stage by the Secret Service. The FBI has since identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, not far from the location of the rally. He was killed by federal agents. One rally attendee was killed, and another was critically injured, according to a Trump social media statement after the shooting.
Mere hours after the shooting, Wall Street billionaire Bill Ackman took to social media to express support for Trump. While Ackman did not mention the attempted assassination, he said this was a decision he had made “some time ago” after spending time with the former president.
“Today, when one announces an intention to support Trump, Biden supporters who know me tend to assume that I have lost it. I assure you that I have made this decision carefully, rationally, and by relying on as much empirical data as possible,” Ackman wrote.
Akermant, a former Democrat megadonor, and Obama supporter, also made it clear in recent months that he did not support President Joe Biden and reiterated that in his latest statement, where he also advised his followers to do their own research before voting.
“Please keep an open mind on the upcoming presidential election. Bear in mind that your views on Trump have likely been dramatically affected if you have sourced your info on Trump from mainstream media or friends or family who have relied on mainstream media as a source of knowledge. We have all recently learned in the starkest manner (the debate) how we cannot rely on the MSM as our source of truth on the ultimate political question,” Ackman’s statement continued.
He joins another prominent billionaire, Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk, who reportedly announced he would donate to Trump’s campaign prior to the assassination attempt.
What We Know About the Shooter So Far
Thomas Crooks had not been carrying ID, so investigators used DNA to identify him, according to the FBI.
He was from Bethel Park in Pennsylvania, about 40 miles) from the site of the attempted assassination, and graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School with a $500 prize for math and science, according to a local newspaper.
Crooks worked in a local nursing home kitchen just a short drive away from his home, that paper also reported.
State voter records show that he was a registered Republican, according to US media. However, he is also is reported to have donated $15 to liberal campaign group ActBlue in 2021.
According to media reports, Crooks was wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch, a YouTube channel known for its guns and demolition content. The channel has millions of subscribers featuring videos on different guns and explosive devices.
Law enforcement officials believe the weapon used to shoot at Trump was purchased by Crook’s father.
As of the writing of this piece, Crooks’ motives remain unclear. This is a developing story.