Trump claims missing Butler evidence has resurfaced, accusing former FBI Director Christopher Wray of mishandling the probe.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that information tied to the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, was “missing, altered, corrupted, or gone” when he took office. Trump alleged that “new info was just found” and accused former FBI Director Christopher Wray of mishandling the investigation.
Missing Evidence Claims
Trump posted that the FBI under President Joe Biden failed to properly handle the investigation following the July 13, 2024, rally shooting. He claimed that by the time he returned to the White House on January 20, 2025, much of the file was no longer intact.
“New info was just found!” Trump wrote, without identifying the specific material or who discovered it.
Following the shooting, the FBI served as the lead agency, identifying gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks and stating in 2024 that he appeared to have acted alone while continuing to examine his motive.
Renewed Criticism of Christopher Wray
Trump targeted former FBI Director Christopher Wray, calling him a “Dirty Cop” and asserting he should “pay a price” for his handling of the investigation.
Originally appointed by Trump in 2017, Wray led the FBI until January 20, 2025, stepping down at the end of the Biden administration. Kash Patel succeeded Wray as FBI director in February 2025.
Public records show Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on July 24, 2024, describing the investigation as thorough. The bureau subsequently processed digital evidence, conducted hundreds of interviews, and tracked Crooks’s movements. Trump’s post provided no documentation showing that Wray altered or removed investigative material.
What Official Reviews Show
An August 2024 FBI update found no credible evidence that Crooks conspired with co-conspirators, and official reviews focused heavily on security protocol breakdowns.
A bipartisan House task force later concluded that planning, leadership, and execution failures by the Secret Service and local law enforcement allowed Crooks to access the roof and fire at Trump. While official findings centered on security lapses at the venue, Trump’s latest statements focus on the handling of investigative data.