The MeidasTouch Podcast - Shooter at Trump Rally IDENTIFIED... REPUBLICAN?!?

Episode Date: July 14, 2024

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on the breaking news of the shooters identity in the Trump rally shooting. Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Lights On with Jessica Denson: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/lights-on-with-jessica-denson On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. We are now getting information about the identity of the shooter at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. It's an individual by the name of Thomas Matthew Crooks as being reported by the New York Post as being ID'd as the suspect who engaged in the shooting at the Pennsylvania rally. And now the FBI has officially identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the shooter in the Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump rally. Crooks was shot and killed at the scene. Here's the statement from the FBI moments ago. The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, at Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald

Trump on July 13th in Butler, Pennsylvania. This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos to fbi.gov slash Butler. The exact type of gun is unknown. Could be an AR-15 or some sort of semi-automatic rifle that was recovered at the scene going through Thomas Matthew Crook's voter ID, having the same address in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania of this 20-year-old. The suspect, the individual is registered as a Republican, Roger Sullenberger reports as well. If this New York Post report is accurate on name, age, and location, the shooter appears to be a registered Republican. The shooter also

wearing a Demolition Ranch t-shirt. Demolition Ranch, a far right-wing Second Amendment group that advocates for unlimited use of weapons, AR-15 style weapons. You can take a look at the shirt. It's a graphic photo, I want to warn you. Here it is of the suspected shooter, Thomas Crooks, there after he was neutralized by the Secret Service. You take a look at the shirt that he's wearing. It does appear to be the exact same types of shirts that are being sold on the Bunker branding demolition t-shirt. That group also has a well-known kind of right-wing YouTube site that advocates for basically unlimited use of guns right there. Just showing you right now kind of just how reckless and irresponsible a lot of the initial statements that were coming out were. I mean, when you see statements like this from a MAGA Republican Congress member, like Mike Collins saying Joe Biden sent the orders, and also saying

the Republican district attorney in Butler County, Pennsylvania, should immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination. Especially now, we are seeing that this individual is a registered Republican. Seems to certainly be not an appropriate statement at all to make under any circumstances. But I think it's important. That's why we analyze all of the data here. We talked about what Ronny Jackson previously wrote, Trump deranged left-wing lunatics that parade around MSNBC and other fake news outlets, demonizing Trump and calling him Hitler, are directly responsible for this violent attack

on President Trump's life. They have blood on their hands, enough of the violent rhetoric. America is pissed, exclamation point. Again, none of that seems to actually be any way the reason for this specific shooting. Again, additional statements, one made by J.D. Vance as well, saying today is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. The rhetoric led directly to Trump's attempted assassination. Again, there's absolute and it's false what he's saying. There's no evidence of any of that whatsoever.

As our editor-in-chief, Ron Filipkowski, wrote, this is pretty much where we are at. Authoritarians using the act of one lunatic they know nothing about right now for political power and gain. And look, everybody who I respect in the pro-democracy community, every host on the Midas Touch Network, made it very clear that political violence needs to be condemned in any and all forms. This is entirely unacceptable, unacceptable in a functioning democracy. Anyone who I know in the pro-democracy community who I have any respect for at all condemned this immediately. And, you know, and even despite vehement, vehement opposition to Donald Trump, no one wants to see any political opponent receive beyond the receiving end of any act of violence or physical conduct at all. You know, I think there's been so many just very bad takes, uh, today, you know, and people rush, how is this going to do this politically? How is this going

to do that politically? Is this going to do this? This is like this. Look what happened to Teddy Roosevelt when he was shot. And he lost, I mean, he lost, What about this? I think it's important. You know what we say here at the Midas Touch Network. What's most important is we take a deep breath. We look at the data. We analyze the data. If there's any mistakes made, you admit to those mistakes, but you search and you look for the data to get the best possible information to the people. I'll read you this from Mehdi Hassan right here. Mark Bankston writes, Quick reminder that when a deranged lunatic tried to kill Paul Pelosi with a hammer,

Trump joked about it repeatedly. He thought it was funny and cool. And Mehdi Hassan writes, Don't let them gaslight you or guilt you tonight. Top Democrats, unlike Republicans when the Pelosi's were almost killed, have universally responded tonight with seriousness, soberness, condemnation, and empathy. Republicans can learn a thing or two about how normal people respond, you know, and not even making this a political thing at all.

I just think the way to respond to this, the only one way to respond is to condemn this conduct in the harshest terms possible and to not, you know, try to in any way spread lies or anything like that. Bradley Moss, notable lawyer, posted this. Three questions. What kind of firearm was it, commercial or homemade? How do they get it past the mags and security checks? How do they keep it concealed from others during the hours of delay and the blistering heat while everybody was waiting for Donald Trump? I think that's a good question there as well. I mean, by the way, here on the Facebook site, I may have mentioned this before, but on the Facebook page for the demolition ranch, they responded when they saw the shooter wearing their gear, which is their basically unlimited gun rights under the Second Amendment,

is what they advocate for. And, you know, we will continue to get more information on this shooter. I will also mention this right now as well. This is what Trump posted right before he took the stage. He wrote, all hell breaks loose in one hour. When I take the rally stage, I could be making a major announcement that's sure to strike fear into the hearts of our deep state enemies. And then it talks about, please tell me you'll be watching. And it says, you're one of my top supporters.

Don't miss it. As we put here on the Midas Touch account, President Biden was at church when the shooting at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania occurred. He attempted to contact Donald Trump prior to addressing the nation. However, Trump was busy with his doctor at the time. The President Biden says he hopes to speak with Trump soon. By now, they've already actually spoken. In his statement to cameras, President Biden spoke out forcefully against political violence and urged unity. Definitely a powerful statement by President Biden. And you take a look at the statements that like Don Jr. made when there was an attempted murder on Paul Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi's husband got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready. They wrote in contrast. Here's how President Biden handled it. Play the clip. So we know now I have tried to get a hold of Donald. He's with his doctors. Apparently, he's doing well.

I plan on talking to him shortly, I hope, when I get back to the telephone. Look, there's no place in America for this kind of violence. It's sick. It's sick. It's one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot cond for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this. And so I want to thank the Secret Service and all the agencies, including the state agencies that have

engaged in making sure that the people who and we have more detail to come relative to other injured, other people may be injured in the audience. I don't have all that detail. We'll make that available to you. I may be able to come back a little later tonight, but we'll put out a statement if we don't, if I'm not able to get before, if it's not convenient for you all. But the bottom line is that the Trump rally was a rally that he should have been able to be conducted peacefully without any problem. But the idea, the idea that there's political violence or violence in America like this is just unheard of. It's just not appropriate. And everybody, everybody must condemn it.

Everybody. I'll keep you informed. And if I am able to speak to Donald, I'll let you know that as well. But so far, it appears he's doing well, number one. Number two, that they're thoroughly investigating what happened to anyone else in the audience. We have some reports, but not final reports. And every agency in the federal government, and I'm going back to my phone to speak with the federal agencies that are being put together again to give me an updated briefing. Has anything happened?

They learned more in the last couple hours. So thank you very much. And I hope I get to speak to him tonight. And I'll get back to you if I do, OK? That's where we're at now. We're going to get you

more information as we learn more. Once again, the identity of the shooter right now is reported by the New York Post. Thomas Matthew Crooks at Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, registered Republican,

date of birth 9-2003, party affiliation Republican. He was neutralized in this horrific, horrific incident. Hit subscribe if you can. We'll give you more updates as we learn more.