The would-be assassin just missed former President Donald Trump, but he may have had a member of the Royal Family in his sights if things had gone differently.
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00:00The would-be assassin just missed former President Donald Trump, but he may have had a member
00:05of the royal family in his sights if things had gone differently.
00:09On July 13th, 2024, former President Donald Trump was shot at his campaign rally in Butler,
00:14Pennsylvania. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service agents
00:18on the day of the assassination attempt, after reportedly firing five rounds and injuring
00:23Trump. Since the assassination attempt, the FBI has searched Crooks' two phones, as well
00:28as his laptop. Images of Trump were found on the devices along with other political
00:32figures. Crooks reportedly downloaded photos of President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick
00:37Garland, and FBI Director Christopher Wray. He also had photos of only one public figure
00:42from outside of the U.S., Kate Middleton.
00:45Crooks' motivation for the shooting is still unknown as of the making of this video, and
00:49the photos of public figures only raises more questions. It is eerie to consider how many
00:54different ways this incident could have played out, and it is surely a frightening reminder
00:59for those in charge of the royal family's security.
01:02It's easy to assume that an assassination attempt on a presidential hopeful would be
01:06a politically charged act. However, according to NPR, the investigation into Crooks hasn't
01:11shown a particularly politically motivated person. Members of his family shared with
01:15investigators that Crooks wasn't one to talk about politics. Crooks did, however, search
01:19for the dates of events where Donald Trump would be present, as well as the dates of
01:23the Democratic National Convention. He also reportedly searched major depressive disorder.
01:29Former Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security Juliette Kayyem told
01:33CNN,
01:34"...this may be a situation where the more we know, the less we understand about the
01:37exact reason why."
01:38Meanwhile, former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole thinks that,
01:42"...the shooting gave Crooks incredible attention and catapulted him to a point where I think
01:47that's why he chose this."
01:48This train of thought would explain why other public figures, like President Joe Biden and
01:52Kate Middleton, may have been on Crooks' mind leading up to his attack on Donald Trump.
01:57The assassination attempt seemingly came out of nowhere, which makes it all the more concerning.
02:02Investigators struggling to find a motive also doesn't help alleviate heightened fears
02:06that another high-profile shooting could happen at any time. That's almost certainly going
02:10to have an effect on those in charge of the royal family's security.
02:14Royal commentator Rafe Haydell Mancou told GB News,
02:18"...it does actually raise the issue of how secure are members of our royal family."
02:23He continued to say,
02:24"...moments like these actually make me wonder if this thing could get so close to President
02:28Trump in America. Do we actually need to consider the relationship we have with the monarchy,
02:33like the ability to go shake hands and present a bunch of flowers to them?"
02:37When King Charles III and Queen Camilla were in Jersey for an engagement the day following
02:41the Donald Trump rally shooting, the couple was escorted into a hotel due to a security
02:46Once it was determined that the environment was safe, the pair continued with their engagement.
02:50Former BBC royal correspondent Michael Cole told GB News,
02:54"...I'm sure there's a sort of heightened sense of security concern because of events
02:57in America."
02:58He noted, however, that Charles is used to this level of security concern. Still, it's
03:02clear that those in charge of protecting the royal family have taken note of the assassination
03:07attempt across the pond, as well as the shooter's focus on Kate Middleton.
03:15For more stories, visit nyseagrant.org