In an extraordinary public spat, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s official Rapid Response account unloaded on conservative watchdog Judicial Watch and its president, Tom Fitton, after the group raised fresh questions about records tied to the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt against President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The bureau didn’t merely dispute Judicial Watch’s claims—it went straight for the jugular. “This is a CLICK BAIT LIE by Judicial Watch which is now nothing more than the fake news media!,” the FBI declared on X.
“The unredacted documents are interviews of Thomas Crooks by COLLEGE INSTRUCTORS, NOT cops, wherein those instructors reference to having emailed Thomas Crooks about COURSE WORK.”
Then came the kind of insult usually found in cable news food fights, not official government communications. “Maybe if you spent more time on Facts instead of clicks you wouldn’t be a laughing stock.”
The unusually combative response came after Fitton highlighted newly released FBI documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The records stem from Judicial Watch’s years-long effort to pry loose information surrounding one of the most shocking security failures in modern American political history—the attempt on Trump’s life during a campaign rally in Butler.
The shooting left rally attendee Corey Comperatore dead, seriously wounded two others, and came within inches of changing the course of American history.
Fitton argued that newly released records suggested shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks had email communications that warranted closer scrutiny and accused the FBI of dragging its feet on releasing information to the public. “For whatever reason, FBI is slow rolling the release of records about Butler,” Fitton wrote.
The watchdog organization had earlier announced the release of 48 heavily redacted FBI pages obtained through litigation. According to Judicial Watch, the records revealed communications involving a Butler County Sheriff’s deputy and also referenced the recovery of a gray remote device equipped with an antenna from Crooks after he was killed by law enforcement.
The FBI insists Judicial Watch badly mischaracterized the records. Bureau officials say the emails in question involved college instructors contacting Crooks about coursework—not local law enforcement communicating with the would-be assassin before the attack.
For many Americans, particularly conservatives, confidence in federal law enforcement remains deeply shaken after years of high-profile controversies involving investigations into Trump, surveillance disputes, and politically charged enforcement decisions. Against that backdrop, every new document release tied to the Butler shooting is likely to face intense public scrutiny.
The attack itself remains one of the most stunning security breakdowns in Secret Service history. Crooks managed to position himself on a rooftop overlooking the rally and fire multiple shots before being neutralized, despite a massive security presence surrounding the event.
FBI Director Kash Patel has previously stated that investigators concluded Crooks acted alone. According to Patel, roughly 485 agents participated in the investigation and authorities conducted more than 1,000 interviews while examining every available lead.
Even so, lingering questions continue to fuel public skepticism.
The FBI says the facts are settled. Judicial Watch says the public still isn’t getting the full story. And judging by the bureau’s unusually emotional response, federal officials appear increasingly irritated that Americans keep asking.
