Fact Check: Yes, Trump's Alleged Would-Be Assassin Was a Republican

Claim:

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who allegedly tried to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump, was a registered Republican.

Rating:

True ( About this rating? )

Context:

As of this writing, the motives of the alleged would-be assassin, who was killed on the scene by law enforcement officers, are unknown, and it remains to be seen if his political affiliations are relevant. Pennsylvania holds "closed" primary elections, in which only voters registered with a party can vote in that party's primaries. In such states, someone might register with a party not because they agree with its values, but because they want to weigh in on that party's nominees for each elected post. Also, there have also been reports the shooter donated to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports the Democratic Party and left-leaning causes.

In July 2024, as internet users and political pundits speculated about the motives of the man who allegedly attempted to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump, claims circulated on social media that he was a registered Republican:

This X post ( archived ) had garnered more than 1.9 million views as of this writing, as well as roughly 69,000 likes, 5,000 replies and 10,000 shares. The claim also appeared on Reddit , Facebook and Instagram .

The claim is true. Using his name (Thomas Matthew Crooks), date of birth and the fact that we knew he was from Bethel Park , we found his voter registration status on Pennsylvania's Department of State website . He was indeed registered as a Republican. In this screenshot, we redacted his home address and date of birth to protect the privacy of his family and neighbors:

(Pennsylvania Department of State)

This information has been widely confirmed by many reputable news outlets, including NBC News , The New York Times and The Washington Post .

It's important to know that Pennsylvania holds "closed" primary elections , in which only voters registered with a party can vote in that party's primaries. In such states, someone might register with a party not because they agree with its values, but because they want to weigh in on that party's nominees for each elected post.

The motives of the would-be assassin were still unclear as of this writing. There have also been reports the shooter donated to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports the Democratic Party and left-leaning causes.

Sources:

Davies, Emily, et al. 'Trump Rally Shooter Appears to Have Acted Alone, FBI Says'. Washington Post, 15 July 2024. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/07/14/thomas-matthew-crooks-trump-shooting-suspect/ .

Robertson, Campbell, et al. 'Here's What Is Known About the Suspect Who Tried to Assassinate Trump'. The New York Times, 14 July 2024. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/14/us/politics/trump-gunman-thomas-crooks.html .

State Primary Election Types. https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/state-primary-election-types . Accessed 15 July 2024.

'Trump Rally Shooter Identified as 20-Year-Old Pennsylvania Man'. NBC News, 15 July 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-rally-shooter-identified-rcna161757 .