FBI director testifies at hearing on Trump assassination attempt

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it would “leave no stone unturned” in its investigation of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, its director told Congress on Wednesday.

Christopher Wray’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee was reflecting his most detailed comments to date about the 13 July shooting in Pennsylvania that once more has thrust the FBI into a political maelstrom.

Agents are investigating the 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, and what was the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

“I have been saying for some time now that we are living in an elevated threat environment and tragically the Butler County assassination attempt is another example – a particularly heinous and public one – of what I’ve been talking about,” Wray said.

The hearing had been scheduled well before the shooting, as part of the committee’s regular oversight of the FBI and Justice Department.

Despite being appointed by Trump, Wray typically faces antagonistic questions from the Republican-led committee, a reflection of lingering discontent over the FBI’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 campaign.

The FBI so far has avoided the same level of scrutiny directed at the Secret Service over security lapses that preceded the shooting.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday in the face of demands she quit over the failure to prevent the attempted assassination.

Wray was expected to be questioned by lawmakers sceptical of the FBI’s assessment that Crooks left behind no obvious ideological motive that could explain his actions.

The FBI has said it is investigating the shooting, which killed one spectator and seriously injured two others, as an act of domestic terrorism and an attempted assassination.

Trump suffered an ear injury but was not seriously hurt.

Wray and other senior officials privately briefed members of Congress last week, telling them that Crooks had photos on his phone of Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden and other officials.

They said he had looked up the dates for the Democratic National Convention as well as Trump’s appearances.