Disturbing online fantasies of Trump's would-be assassin uncovered

Brace yourself for a disturbing journey into the online world of Thomas Crooks, the man who took a shot at Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, leaving the nation reeling.

Emerging details from recent investigations paint a grim picture of Crooks’s digital life, filled with bizarre personal obsessions, a sharp turn toward political extremism, and shadowy foreign interactions that have ignited intense public speculation about his motives, as Daily Mail reports.

Long before the shocking attack, Crooks’s online presence offered early warning signs, with accounts on DeviantArt under handles like 'epicmicrowave' revealing a peculiar fixation on explicit furry-themed content.

Unsettling Online Obsessions Surface

These accounts showcased odd cartoon depictions—exaggerated male forms combined with female heads—paired with the use of 'they/them' pronouns, suggesting a personal struggle or exploration of identity that veered far from the mainstream.

While such interests might seem like mere eccentricities on their own, they marked just the starting point of a much darker path through Crooks’s digital activities.

As early as 2020, his online behavior shifted dramatically, with posts on platforms like YouTube indicating a growing obsession with radical political ideas and violent rhetoric.

A Shocking Political Transformation

Once a supporter of Trump, Crooks began to unleash scathing criticism online, dismissing the former president’s followers as a “cult” and accusing Trump of profound incompetence in harsh, public terms.

His digital outbursts didn’t stop at mere criticism; they soon escalated into dangerous territory, with explicit calls for anti-government actions and violent schemes.

“[In my opinion] the only way to fight the [government] is with terrorism style attacks,” Crooks allegedly posted on YouTube, outlining chilling plans to bomb essential structures and target prominent political figures.

Shadowy Foreign Influence Raises Alarms

Further deepening the mystery, Tucker Carlson’s independent probe into Crooks’s online history uncovered interactions with a troubling figure known as 'Willy_Tepes,' active on YouTube between 2019 and 2020.

Tepes, reportedly linked to the Nordic Resistance Movement—a group branded as terrorists by the State Department—sent messages to Crooks that urged armed rebellion and a complete rejection of governmental authority.

“If a gun and a badge is all that is needed, then authority obviously comes from the barrel of a gun,” Tepes wrote to Crooks on August 4, 2020, a provocative line that hints at a dangerous external influence on an already troubled mind.

FBI Stance Meets Conservative Skepticism

After these exchanges, Crooks went quiet on YouTube, creating an ominous silence in his online activity during the years leading up to the violent incident at the Butler rally.

The FBI, following an extensive investigation with over 480 employees, insists that Crooks operated as a lone actor, had no co-conspirators, and kept his deadly plans entirely under wraps, sharing them with no one online or in person.

Despite the official narrative, Carlson’s findings about the unreported Tepes connection have fueled widespread distrust among conservatives, with MAGA influencers and lawmakers like Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett demanding full transparency from the FBI, some even floating unverified theories of hidden government manipulation, reflecting deep frustration with the lack of clear answers.