Attempted Trump assassin used they/them pronouns, had obsession with ‘muscle mommies’

Newly uncovered online activity linked to Thomas Crooks suggests years of escalating violent rhetoric and troubling interests prior to his attempted assassination of President Trump, according to materials reviewed by The Post.

Sources who accessed what they believe to be Crooks’ private social‑media accounts say he used they/them pronouns online and posted threatening statements, disturbing artwork, and searches related to political violence. Authorities have not yet confirmed the authenticity of the accounts.

Crooks, who grazed President Trump with a bullet and fatally shot a firefighter while critically injuring two other attendees at the July 13, 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, appears to have maintained multiple pseudonymous profiles across platforms including YouTube, DeviantArt, Snapchat, Discord, Chess.com, Quora, and others, according to the researchers who traced email addresses associated with him.

A screenshot of the "About EpicMicrowave" section showing the user's birthday as July 6, location as United States, membership on DeviantArt for 5 years, and preferred pronouns as "They / Them". — He appeared to have an obsession with muscular women with scrawny men. Obtained by the NY Post

One DeviantArt profile attributed to Crooks reposted artwork depicting extremely muscular women, while YouTube searches linked to him reportedly show recurring interest in female bodybuilders. The DeviantArt profile listed they/them pronouns, though it remains unclear whether Crooks personally identified that way.

A broad review of Crooks’ online trail—dating back nearly a decade—shows a shift from early posts praising President Trump and expressing extremist, antisemitic, and racist views, to a dramatic reversal during the COVID‑19 pandemic. By 2020, Crooks’ comments online sharply criticized Trump’s handling of the crisis, accusing him of acting too slowly and failing to adopt stricter social‑distancing measures.

Around this same period, Crooks began sharing violent digital art, according to sources. Several pieces posted in 2023 depicted executions or attacks in stylized scenes, some using color schemes similar to the transgender pride flag.

Search histories linked to Crooks also suggest a preoccupation with high‑profile acts of violence, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the Pulse nightclub attack, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He also reportedly researched topics such as rapid AR‑15 firing techniques, improvised explosives, Molotov cocktails, body armor, and riot‑control tactics.

Illustration of an injured purple character with a pipe wrench on the right, and green text on the left detailing its name, purpose, weapon, and cause of death. — Many of his artworks and comments revealed an obsession with violence and gore. Obtained by the NY Post

Thomas Matthew Crooks aiming a pistol at a wall with a Marvel poster. — Crooks also shared videos and pictures of himself with firearms.

In August 2020, comments attributed to Crooks show him discussing violent strategies against government targets, advocating “terrorism‑style” attacks and political assassinations as the only effective means of resistance—reflecting a growing sense of nihilism, according to the sources.

The FBI has not verified the online accounts or search histories reported by The Post, and the agency declined to comment on the findings.

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