FBI Director to Testify on Investigation of Attempted Assassination of Former President
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray is scheduled to testify on Wednesday regarding the bureau’s investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Lawmakers are expected to seek new insights into the motives and background of the assailant during the congressional hearing.
This hearing marks Wray’s most comprehensive remarks regarding the incident involving 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, highlighting a serious assassination attempt against a president or presidential candidate since the shooting of Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Originally part of the routine oversight of the FBI and Justice Department, this hearing was scheduled prior to the June 13 shooting. While a range of topics potentially may be addressed, it is anticipated that inquiries concerning the shooting will take precedence.
Despite his appointment by Trump, Wray frequently encounters challenging questions from the Republican-led committee, reflecting ongoing dissatisfaction over the FBI’s investigation into alleged ties between Russia and the 2016 campaign. While the FBI has largely escaped the intense scrutiny directed at the Secret Service due to security failures ahead of the shooting, Wray is expected to face skepticism regarding the bureau’s assertion that Crooks left no clear ideological motive for his actions.
The FBI is treating the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, which resulted in one fatality and serious injuries to two others, as an act of domestic terrorism and an assassination attempt.
In recent briefings to Congress, Wray and other high-ranking officials revealed that Crooks had photos of Trump, President Joe Biden, and other officials on his phone. He had reportedly researched dates for the Democratic National Convention and attended the rally site by drone prior to the event, seemingly to survey the area.
