Thomas Matthew Crooks registered to vote as a Republican.
He was raised in a Republican home with Trump signs in the front yard. He lived in a Republican-majority neighborhood.
It contradicts the MAGA narrative.
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| Crooks |
An overarching theme in the MAGA and GOP narrative is that "we" good Americans are under attack by Democrats. They consider themselves to be fighting in self-defense against powerful a consortium of Blacks, women, immigrants, Hispanics Muslims, gays, trans people, prosecutors, courts, and college-educated elites. Trump -- a latter-day Christ -- takes the blows and suffers on their behalf.
The idea is a recurring theme of Trump's speeches and merchandise.
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Crooks appears to have negligible record of political involvement. He registered as a Republican after turning 18. His high school classmates told reporters for the Philadelphia Inquirer that he was a conservative. Max Smith, a classmate in an American history class, said, "He definitely was conservative. It makes me wonder why he would carry out an assassination attempt on the conservative candidate."Crooks lived with his parents. Neighbors say the house posted Trump signs. Crooks was a member of a gun club. Police found a dozen or so guns at the Crooks' home. When Crooks' parents tried to find him on the day of the shooting, their first inquiry was to the gun club.
He was young. His political views, if any, were apparently minimal, but insofar as he was partisan, he was a Republican. I cite this to blunt the blame and retribution narrative being voiced in social media and on stage at the GOP convention. The "payback" meme is widespread in social media. Southern Oregon Republicans have become thoroughly MAGA. I got a taste of this payback meme sent my way by a prominent local Republican Trump supporter.
MOTHERFUCKERS like Peter Sage and [name removed] publish hate daily against Republicans, and now some son of a bitch in Pennsylvania tried to assassinate Trump today. You all are lucky that the assassin failed to kill Trump, because if he had, then it would be "open season" on liberal politicians. You motherfuckers want another civil war? You're pushing for it . . . . I've owned guns for 40 years. . . . I haven't shot anybody yet, but that could change if I have to protect my life.There is a phenomenon that takes place in the aftermath of mass shootings. Vulnerable groups worry that the shooter's identity would bring specific blame onto them. As information about the assassin emerged, a succession of groups could breathe a sigh of relief. The shooter wasn't an immigrant, or here illegally, or Black, or Hispanic, or Muslim, or liberal, or from a college town, or a representative of some environmental or reproductive rights or gun-opposition group, or apparently gay or trans. Whew!
Trump's assassin was a White, male, gun-loving Republican.
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13 comments:
The quote Peter provides from the unnamed prominent Republican sounds like someone who might have once told a judge he had “water on the brain.” I think he has something more pathogenic where his brain is supposed to be, but that’s true of the GOP in general. For example, at the RNC they’re claiming they want to make America safe again, but they’re the ones making it unsafe, sending death threats to election officials, school board members, judges, etc.
Let’s not forget that the assassination attempt against Trump doesn’t change who he is – a malicious criminal who promotes fear, anger and hatred for personal profit. And that’s the face of today's GOP. It makes Biden look downright healthy.
“He was raised in a Republican home with Trump signs in the front yard”.
His mother is registered as a Democrat; his father, Libertarian. Multiple neighbors report no Trump signs, contrary to the one who claimed otherwise. Crooks donated to Act Blue the day Biden was inaugurated.
The picture remains murky. For now, the weird loner trope seems most apt.
In addition there's been some reporting that Crooks fit the profile of the loner, if not bullied considered "different", at school. This suggests that he was seeking attention in the same way that many school shooters have been described.
It's pretty despicable that Republicans leapt to blame "The Left" and conjure up conspiracy theories when it quickly became apparent that this is nothing more than a textbook example of a mentally ill young man with an AR15 he got from his parents.
The most interesting thing about this to me was that he planned his attack, picking a vantage point and purchasing a ladder to get access. How did he know that building was unguarded? This does raise the possibility of some kind of prior knowledge about the event and that others may be involved.
By the same token, President Biden's "bullseye" comment was a blunder, and more evidence that he's off his game, or very poorly advised.
As usual, Peter Sage lies, and he takes two different emails and merges them together as if they were written at the same time. Sage takes things out of context in order to fool his readers.
You Democrats are lying assholes. You defame Republicans daily, and you incite violence. Antifa is the military arm of the Democratic Party. Remember those 100 days in Portland in 2020?
As for owning guns, I've owned them for 40 years without incident. You'll never see them, unless you attempt to break-in to my house. They never leave my house, and they are intended for home defense. They are not toys. They are intended to ensure that Democrat communists don't do to me what the Nazis did to the Jews.
I think he just wanted to become infamous like Lee Harvy Oswald. He knew he'd probably get killed, but hoped not. That cop who interrupted him probably saved Trump's life as Crook had to hurry up and aim.
If there was an Iranian up there instead of some kid, they would have got the job done.
Anyway, Trump is using it as a Badge of Honor and probably getting a few more votes. Let's hope the DNC gets serious and convinces Biden to step down.
Yeah, I was glad that Crook didn’t turn out to be Jewish,, although our weapon of choice tends to be large caliber high velocity guilt. 😱😀
Guess what , Crooks was young. Today young means disconnected, self absorbed, looking into a bleak future. Gun was power.
Calculating the place and angle for shooting. The right weapon. Good timing. Symbols of manhood. Look at his hairless face in the grad picture. I would trust this kid to mow my lawn and walk my dog.
Might want to get your meds checked Curt, it appears they've stopped working again.
Beat me to it, Woke Guy. "Democrat Communists" ? I'm not sure I've ever been called a Communist before , and I've been a a registered Independent since Darth Cheney got The Shrub to invade Iraq.
Since the “prominent local Republican Trump supporter” chose to reveal himself, it can also be revealed that he did in fact tell a judge he had “water on the brain” as his excuse for defrauding the IRS. But lawlessness and incendiary rhetoric are the new normal in the GOP, so I guess we’d better get used to it.
Peter, I'm giving you a thumb and index finger clap for effort.
I will refer to the statement made by Low Dudgeon as to the truth of the matter. That way I don't have to reiterate the obviously little information, even after 5 days, of what we know about this child.
But even in what you say and in the manner that you say it, that would mean that Donald Trump ...is not right-wing enough.
Take a second to pause and contemplate that.
There are many on the right that don't like Donald Trump because he is not right-wing enough
...and another false equivalent to "fascist dictator" falls on its face. As all such false accusations against Republicans have for decades. Remember, your beloved Mitt Romney was said to be a fascist dictator. ... In hindsight I believe that far more than I've ever even considered that of Donald Trump.
Obviously, we have 4 years of Donald Trump in the White House and not a single such accusation has come to be true at all.
"...anyway"
Mike Mike Mike...
"lawlessness and incendiary rhetoric are the new normal in..."
...the Democrat party.
LAWLESSNESS???
INCENDIARY RHETORIC???
Dude, you really need to look at the company you keep.
I really wish that any of you had any humility to do some self-reflection as to what it this Obama ....I mean, Biden administration has done to this country and the world.
Division
Inequality
Elitism
Just to look at what Peter has just posted about the Nazi Philistines that disrupted Ron Wyden's appearance in Medford.
GET OUT
GET OUT DEMOCRATS!!
THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE!!
Last note:
The majority of you are literally the generation of the Kennedy assassination ....and you still think that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone shooter??
There truly is no hope for you is there.
Back to that old adage
if you're 20 and not a Democrat you don't have a heart
if you're 50 and still a Democrat you don't have a brain
Michael what is all this guilt you speak of? Do you need to do some tushuva??
You should come to Chabad in Ashland for shabat's services. yeah many people drive, I'm lucky enough to walk there.
Rabbi Avi really appreciates me being there just in case he forgets to turn on the lights and especially lately, the air conditioning, because I am the "Goyim in residence"( The stranger who travels among you) I was raised very Polish catholic. I think it would do you some good and then we can meet and talk. give it some consideration
Give us a break from the fake outrage.
Biden is not the candidate who is trying to ruin this country.
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