Andrew Torba, the CEO of the social networking site Gab, has shared alarming revelations about the would-be assassin of Donald Trump, Thomas Crooks. According to Torba, law enforcement informed him that Crooks might have posted messages on Gab under the username @epicmicrowave. These posts, which were supportive of President Joe Biden, were made on a platform known for its alt-right users.
Torba stated that he couldn’t confirm the account belonged to Crooks, but it was last active in 2021 and made nine posts in total. Despite the limited activity, most of the posts expressed strong support for Biden’s policies, particularly on COVID lockdowns and border control.
In one post from February 2021, the user defended Biden’s border policies, arguing they did not incentivize human trafficking. The post linked to a study showing that crime rates among undocumented migrants were lower than those among American citizens and legal migrants in Texas. Another post from the same month supported COVID lockdown measures, suggesting they were effective in reducing deaths by keeping people at home.
Torba shared these posts, acknowledging the significant personal and business risks involved. He emphasized the potential political backlash, noting that Gab has previously faced politically motivated inquiries from government committees. Torba believes revealing this information, which suggests that Crooks was a Biden supporter, might lead to further scrutiny and backlash.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has described Gab as a “haven for hate and disinformation,” and has criticized Torba for espousing extremist rhetoric. Despite this, Torba insists on the importance of protecting free speech online.
The FBI is investigating the shooting by Crooks at a Trump rally as an act of domestic terrorism. They have created a detailed timeline of Crooks’ movements and online activities but have yet to determine his exact motive or why he targeted Trump specifically.
These revelations add a new dimension to the investigation, highlighting the complexity of Crooks’ motivations and the broader implications of political discourse on social media platforms.
