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It remains unclear if the farm equipment was hit by a bullet fired by the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was neutralized by a Secret Service counter-sniper in what has been hailed as a “one-in-a-million” shot. Previous reports confirm that three weapons were discharged during the attempt: Crooks’ rifle, a shot from a state law enforcement sniper that missed, and the decisive shot from the Secret Service counter-sniper.
Bongino noted that the counter-sniper who eliminated Crooks was not the individual seen in widely circulated videos. Instead, this sniper was positioned approximately 400 yards behind the scene, a testament to the extraordinary skill and precision required for such a shot.
On Tuesday, Bongino cited a trusted Secret Service source to report that a “small explosion” occurred during the shooting. He clarified, “Now to be clear, there’s some confusion about what it was. Was there some fireworks at the scene? Was there something the assassin had brought with them that the hydraulic fluid, or something one of the shots had set off? Did he set it off? But the explosion is what led to the confusion about where they should go and whether they were still under attack.”
The combination of hydraulic fluid and the explosion exacerbated the chaos, making it challenging for the motorcade to maneuver and for security to reestablish control. These elements are critical in understanding the full scope of the incident.
In the days following the attempt on Trump’s life, Bongino was the first to disclose that a state law enforcement sniper team was supposed to be stationed atop the AGR building from which Crooks fired. Initial reports suggested Crooks used a ladder to access the roof, but investigators now believe he climbed an air-conditioning unit to reach his vantage point. His AR-15 rifle, traced back to his father, was hidden behind the unit.
Law enforcement personnel were positioned inside the AGR building instead of on the roof, creating a gap in security that Crooks exploited. He was observed loitering around the grounds an hour before the shooting, and one officer even snapped a picture of him before he disappeared, only to return later with lethal intent.
Once Crooks returned, he did not immediately raise alarms until he ascended the roof, where bystanders spotted him and tried to alert authorities. A local law enforcement officer, assigned to traffic duty, was hoisted onto the roof by a colleague to investigate. Upon confrontation, Crooks pointed his weapon at the officer, who retreated and radioed for backup over a channel not synced with the Secret Service.
Brutal “Pocket Weapon” Stops Hearts (discounted for next 78)
“I want to add the Secret Service is now in a PR fight because they’re afraid to throw the locals under the bus. The locals don’t want to get in a fight publicly with the Secret Service. I’m just giving you a… I’m not placing the blame on one or the other folks,” Bongino explained on Tuesday. “It was a security failure and both sides clearly have some skin in the game here. I’m just giving you the facts.”
This incident has sparked a debate over security protocols and inter-agency communication, raising questions about how such a breach could occur. As more details emerge, the full narrative of the events leading up to and during the assassination attempt continues to unfold, shedding light on both the heroics and the failures of that fateful day.
