Crane Questions PA Police Commissioner on Security Failure at Butler Trump Rally

Rep. Eli Crane

Congress continues to seek answers to the truth about the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, questioning State Police Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris about local law enforcement's actions during the day's events. Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) dug into the inconsistencies in reports and levels of security failure, asking the Commissioner if he was receiving messages from people who believed Thomas Crooks was not acting alone.

Rep. Crane began by playing a video he recorded at the Butler site. Standing on the roof Crooks fired from, he pointed out the water tower, which lacked counter snipers, and the supposed building where the Secret Service and local police had access. Representative Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) accompanied him and filmed his video.

"Who made the decision, Colonel, not to put a counter-sniper team on the tallest structure, by far, on the site with 360-degree surveillance?" asked Rep. Crane. Col. Paris answered that he did not know.

The questioning then turned to the building near the roof Crooks fired from, which supposedly had security within it.

"Why weren't security teams serving on-site able to spot a 20-year-old kid with zero camouflage, crawling up a white roof with an AR-15 that several rallygoers were screaming and yelling and pointing out, and they noticed him, and they were not even there to conduct security?" The Arizona Congressman inquired.

Crane then brought up the most chilling aspect of the assassination attempt: the speculation that Crooks was not acting alone.

"I am just going to say it: are you aware, sir, that many Americans believe it was very likely not a lone shooter but a coordinated assassination attempt? Have you been getting messages from people like I have?" asked Crane

Col. Paris said he did not, prompting the Arizona Congressman to reply, "Well, there are a lot of people in this room that have been getting similar messages. Why do you think that is? Why do you think a lot of Americans are like, 'This does not add up, this does not make sense? How could this many things have gone wrong?"

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.