# Motivation for July 13th Trump shooting: speculation, conjecture, moving to evidence supported hypothesis **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [July 14, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219 "2024-07-14T20:07:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/21 "2024-07-14T22:59:02Z")
I’d be very surprised if they don’t have (or will soon find) some kind of writing, whether a diary, online posts, or something similar that explains his state of mind. It all usually boils down to “troubled loner”, but there are often twists and turns involving internet forums, YouTube history, super sekrit societies, and mental illness. A normal everyday kid, even a troubled lonely one, doesn’t one day out of the blue decide to climb on a roof and try to blow the head off of anyone, even a shitstained excuse for a human like trump. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/22 "2024-07-14T23:11:58Z")
It would actually be a relief if, for once, a modern day assassin didn’t have a troubling social media footprint. Maybe his girlfriend just dumped him. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/23 "2024-07-14T23:18:55Z")
Preliminary reports of a bullied teen loner in high school. Grabs his daddy’s AR15 and goes to shoot something up. Just like the time before and the time before that. I wonder if he just headed to a big high profile crowd event to make his splash and was presented with the ultimate target of opportunity. If security had prevented access to a roof with line of sight to the podium he may have just shot randomly into the crowd. And so it goes… ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2024, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/24 "2024-07-14T23:41:42Z")
I’m speculating something like crazy gun-nut incel who lived in the basement playing shootem-up video games and eating Fruit Loops in between shifts at the nursing home. Seeing no hope of changing the course of his life decided to go out with a…well, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/25 "2024-07-15T01:25:58Z")
Yeah, sounds like this is going to be a typical lone-nut thing, and his political affiliation is a red herring. The rally was probably a target of opportunity and he probably expected to die and become famous in death. If Trump hadn’t been coming to town, maybe he would’ve driven his car into a crowd at a parade or shot up a grocery store. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/26 "2024-07-15T02:02:27Z")
Wouldn’t be surprised if he’d had a go at Biden? Like, mixed up kid. ---
**Author:** ![JoePockets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@JoePockets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoePockets)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/27 "2024-07-15T02:37:47Z")
No way Oswald didn’t have help or do it at all! ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/28 "2024-07-15T02:44:55Z")
I think it’s another incel loser with delusions of masculinity who got a hold of a gun, as you do, so he could show up at a big target event and get famous and then die. Because it always fucking is. It isn’t a false-flag. Trump didn’t squash a blood pellet on his ear. The shooter isn’t Biden’s nephew. There is no fucking conspiracy. This is America. This shit happens practically on the daily. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/29 "2024-07-15T02:50:02Z")
I’d start with the libertarian gun owner father. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/30 "2024-07-15T03:19:26Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > maybe he would’ve driven his car into a crowd at a parade or shot up a grocery store. Or maybe, with the explosives in his car, he’d planned to drive into the rally crowd if he couldn’t get up on a roof. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/31 "2024-07-15T03:33:03Z")
I’m sure he had all sorts Jason Bourne plans that would be his piece de resistance. Instead he had his blown off. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/32 "2024-07-15T03:33:38Z")
> [@JoePockets](#): > > No way Oswald didn’t have help or do it at all! That is in fact exactly what happened, and the movie “JFK” is full of easily debunked lies so don’t believe it. Lee Harvey Oswald was EXACTLY the sort of loser that commits an assassination. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/33 "2024-07-15T09:53:59Z")
Geez, you people really dislike people in basement apartments and people who live with their parents. I agree with the “claim to fame” theory. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/34 "2024-07-15T10:39:25Z")
A loser that wanted attention and had no real political beliefs. He was planning this for some time, which is why he registered as a republican and donated to a democrat cause, what 18 - 20 year old does that? He figured it would just keep him in the news longer because the press just wouldn’t stop the feeding frenzy. The fact that he made it far as he did must have been a shock to him, but his fantasy came true. Suicide by cop with his name living on, that was his motivation. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/35 "2024-07-15T10:43:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > As in, someone convinced him to shoot _near_ Trump, promising a pardon after Trump was elected, then made sure he wouldn’t talk afterwards? Not buying it…just yet. Not a James Ellroy reader, then? (Whaddaya mean that’s _fiction_ …?) ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/36 "2024-07-15T10:52:50Z")
I’ve seen a report that the donation to a democratic cause was a different Thomas Crooks. I don’t know if that’s been verified though. I’m going with a loner who was bullied. He was bullied by the very republicans who were supposed to accept him because he was a trump supporter. So he decided he’d “show them” by killing some supporters and the man himself. The world would never forget him then. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/37 "2024-07-15T12:15:03Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > I’d start with the libertarian gun owner father. That’s a decent bet. Wacky people raise wacky kids. If the kid is wackier _enough_ they tend to find a way to become infamous. Whether trump is elected in 2024 or not, I think that 15 years from now the words “Thomas Crooks” will be much more of a stumper on Jeopardy than was, say, “Sirhan Sirhan” or “John Hinckley” in their times. Had trump taken one round in the face and was now dead that would certainly be different. So as to infamy, the kid 95% flubbed that too. A suitable failure cherry on his entire lifetime failure sundae. Mostly confected by his father (and mother?). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/38 "2024-07-15T12:19:43Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > He was planning this for some time, which is why he registered as a republican and donated to a democrat cause, what 18 - 20 year old does that? His planning started, at the earliest, when this rally was announced. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/39 "2024-07-15T12:26:31Z")
OK, maybe not his planning for the specific event, but his fantasy. He fantisized about being going out in a way that would make him infamous and then it fell upon him. Playing both sides of the politcal fence is a sign pointing towards this. But of course, unless he left some sort of cry baby manifesto we will never know his true motive. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219/40 "2024-07-15T12:42:32Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Had trump taken one round in the face and was now dead that would certainly be different. Gasp - can you imagine the spectacle of a Trump funeral [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motivation-for-july-13th-trump-shooting-speculation-conjecture-moving-to-evidence-supported-hypothesis/1004219.md?page=3)