Would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks' wild rifle assault on former President Donald J. Trump and a Pennsylvania rally crowd July 13 was ended by a “total badass” SWAT operator who hit Crooks' rifle with a bullet from ground level 100 yards away, U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) said. Crooks, 20, was “fragged” in the face when a Butler County Emergency Services Unit SWAT operator fired at him from ground level and blew apart his rifle's stock, Higgins said Aug. 15. In a report to the bipartisan House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Trump, Higgins credited the SWAT operator with ending Crooks' attack after eight shots — about 10 seconds before a police counter-sniper shot and killed Crooks. A source earlier told Blaze News the counter-sniper shot was fired from 448 yards southwest of Crooks' position. “Shot 9 hit Crooks’ rifle stock and fragged his face/neck/right shoulder area from the stock breaking up,” Higgins wrote. “The SWAT operator who took this shot was a total badass. When he had sighted the shooter Crooks as a mostly obscured-by-foliage moving target on the [American Glass Research] rooftop, he immediately left his assigned post and ran towards the threat, running to a clear-shot position directly into the line of fire while Crooks was firing 8 rounds.” Higgins said his preliminary report was based on about 20 hours of investigative work at the scene in Butler County Aug. 4-6. “As always, my investigation was focused on hard evidence and facts, specific observations guided by instinct and experience,” he wrote. “My overall mission was to personally observe and investigate the available crime scene site, along with consideration of both anticipated and unanticipated interactions with witnesses, the crime scene landscape, hard evidence, corroborative evidence, and circumstantial evidence.” Even after being identified by local police 90 minutes before the shooting as a suspicious person, Crooks was able to slip onto the roof of the sprawling AGR complex between 6:06 and 6:08 p.m. and run at least two-thirds the length of the roof to a concealed shooting perch on Building 6, bodycam footage showed. A Pennsylvania State Police trooper broadcast a warning at 6:08 p.m. that someone was on the roof, but the Secret Service apparently did not hear it. The Secret Service had no personnel in the local police command center and failed to use the special radios provided by police for communicating with the local command center, officials have said. Crooks shot Trump in the right ear at 6:11:32 p.m. during an initial burst of three rifle shots, followed by a rapid discharge of five more bullets. Killed in the gunfire was volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, Pa. The seriously wounded included David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pa., and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pa. In a briefing last week with U.S. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), local police officials said the U.S. Secret Service has not even acknowledged the heroic action taken by the Butler County SWAT officer in stopping the attack. “That's not being widely reported,” Johnson said Aug. 11. 'This pattern of investigative scorched earth by the FBI is quite troubling.' Higgins said it is possible that the bullet from the SWAT operator disabled Crooks’ weapon and prevented him from firing a ninth or subsequent time. “On his own, this ESU SWAT operator took a very hard shot, one shot,” Higgins said. “He stopped Crooks, and importantly, I believe he damaged the buffer tube on Crooks’ AR. … This means that if his AR buffer tube was damaged, Crooks’ rifle would not fire after his eighth shot.” The buffer tube on an AR-15-style rifle houses a system to control recoil when the weapon is fired. When the SWAT bullet hit his AR-15, Crooks initially went down from his prone shooting stance, the report said, perhaps stunned by the debris striking his face and neck. After a few seconds, the Butler SWAT operator reported, Crooks “popped back up.” Video shot from the west side of Building 6 by eyewitness Jon Malis shows Crooks almost sitting up after his rifle was hit. “Then when I looked back later with my video zoomed in,” Malis said. “Sure enough, you could see him sit up and sling his weapon around and aim it right towards us right before the Secret Service shot him.” Higgins served in a variety of law enforcement roles in Louisiana before first taking office in the House in 2017. Most recently he served as deputy marshal for the city of Lafayette and previously held law enforcement positions at city, town, and parish departments. FBI releases shooter's body Higgins said he had planned to examine Crooks’ body on an investigative trip to Butler Aug. 5 but discovered the FBI had released it to the family for cremation on July 23. “Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5,” Higgins said. “The problem with me not being able to examine the actual body is that I won’t know 100% if the coroner’s report and the autopsy report are accurate. We will actually never know,” Higgins wrote. “Yes, we’ll get the reports and pictures, etc., but I will not ever be able to say with certainty that those reports and pictures are accurate according to my own examination of the body.” He said the FBI released the crime scene after just three days, harming the efforts of other investigations examining the shooting. 'Cops don't do that, ever.' “I interviewed several first responders who expressed everything from surprise to dismay to suspicion regarding the fact that the FBI released the crime scene so early after J13,” he said. “It should be noted that the FBI was fully aware of the fact that Congress would be investigating J13. The FBI does not exist in a vacuum. They had to know that releasing the J13 crime scene would injure the immediate observations of any following investigation.” The FBI also scrubbed the scene before releasing it. A Beaver County Emergency Services SWAT operator and a medic enter the building from which Thomas Crooks shot former President Donald J. Trump at a rally July 13 in Butler, Pa.Butler Township Police Department via Judicial Watch “The FBI cleaned up biological evidence from the crime scene, which is unheard of,” he said. “Cops don’t do that, ever.” Higgins described the actions of the FBI as “obstruction” of congressional and other investigations that were started since the FBI opened its criminal probe of the shooting. The FBI was surely aware of the U.S. House task force appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), he said. “Why, then, by what measure would the FBI release his body to the family for cremation? This pattern of investigative scorched earth by the FBI is quite troubling,” Higgins said. Blaze News has contacted the FBI for comment on the Higgins report. The Higgins report confirmed information published by Blaze News Aug. 12 that indicated Crooks took a path along the roof to his shooting perch that minimized his exposure to the counter-sniper teams. The view of the Secret Service counter-snipers was badly obscured by two large trees just southeast of the building from which Crooks fired. Crooks likely used his drone just before 4 p.m. to confirm the route he would take on the roof, a Blaze source said. “Crooks’ firing position was also several feet back from the actual peak of the AGR rooftop,” Higgins said. “By choosing this position, Crooks effectively minimized the sky-lined profile of his head and upper body.” No second shooter The report discounted widely circulated internet theories that a second gunman was located atop the blue water tower at the edge of the AGR property. Higgins said the tower was checked and cleared using a drone in the morning. The retractable ladder to access the tower was never lowered that day, and local police squads sat underneath the tower much of the day, he said. To reach the top of the tower, someone would have had to scale the first 25 feet with no ladder, then climb 75 feet to the catwalk, then make it up the “intimidating and precarious” dome vent access ladder. “I do not believe it was possible for a '2nd shooter' sniper to be on top of that water tower on J13, nor have I seen any evidence that supports the theory of a 2nd shooter. I’m not saying conclusively that there was no other shooter somewhere or that no other conspirators were involved in J13, but I’m saying that based on my investigation thus far, there were 10 shots fired on J13, and all shots are accounted for, and all shots align with their source.” Higgins also quashed the idea that a muzzle flash was seen in a first-floor window of the AGR building at the time of the shooting. He said he examined the window and determined it does not open. Higgins gave high marks to the tactical teams and other local police officers who staffed the event and responded to the shooting. “My assessment of the local law enforcement's overall performance on J13 is that the ESU was very professionally deployed and commanded,” he said. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Democrat congresswoman from Michigan without a farm or farming-related license saves thousands of dollars every year in taxes because of an agriculture-related exemption for her property, an exclusive report from the New York Post reveals.Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a three-term congresswoman vying for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by retiring Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow, lives in Holly, Michigan, a rural village about 55 miles northwest of Detroit.The images 'show a single-family home, woods and fields — but no farming,' the Post saidThe property where she lives also comes with a full tax exemption because of a classification regarding "agricultural improvements." Under Michigan law, such improvements include:any improvements, buildings, structures, or fixtures suitable for use in farming which are located on agricultural land. Agricultural improvements includes a single-family dwelling located on agricultural land which is or will be occupied by the beginning farmer and structures attached to or incidental to the use of the dwelling.Michigan law permits the "agricultural" classification on properties on which at least 50% of land is used for agricultural purposes. Once a property has been granted the classification, it can keep it even if the property changes hands and even if the property is no longer used for farming, as appears to be the case with Slotkin.Slotkin's grandfather purchased the property in 1956 and used it to raise cattle, according to previous reporting from the Lansing City Pulse.When Slotkin's grandfather acquired the property, he reportedly had between 400 and 500 head of cattle that eventually became the beef used in hot dogs sold at the now-defunct Tiger Stadium. Slotkin's grandfather slowly sold his beef company, and by the time Slotkin moved to the property as a child in 1980, the cattle were "gone," the Pulse said.Slotkin's father, Curtis, gifted the family property to Slotkin and her brother in May 2023, the Post said. Sometime before Slotkin received the property from her father, the property was granted the "agricultural" designation that remains attached to the property to this day, saving Slotkin about $2,700 a year in property taxes, the Post claimed.Yet according to the Post, the property has no current agricultural licenses associated with it, and aerial images of the property captured by drones indicate that no agricultural-related activity is conducted there.The images "show a single-family home, woods and fields — but no farming," the Post said.Though Slotkin does not currently appear to be engaging in farming activity in any meaningful sense, Michigan Farm News reported as recently as April that Slotkin "resides on her family’s beef cattle farm in Holly."Slotkin, a member of the House Agricultural Committee, has also claimed during previous campaigns that she grew soybeans on the Holly property.Owners can petition to have the "agricultural" classification removed from their property by submitting a written request to the Michigan State Tax Commission, the Post said.In response to a request for comment, Slotkin's campaign told the Post: "Rep. Slotkin’s farm has been in her family for three generations since 1956. It has been agricultural since then and Oakland County has confirmed on multiple occasions that the property qualifies for the agricultural exemption."National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Maggie Abboud told the Post that the report about Slotkin was "not a surprise." "Phony politician Elissa Slotkin is lying to Michigan voters and pretending she is a farmer," she said.Blaze News reached out to Slotkin's Republican opponent in the Senate race, Rep. Mike Rogers. His spokesperson redirected us to Abboud, who gave Blaze News the same statement provided to the Post.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

JD Vance is weird. He’s a radical. He’s dangerous. You’ve heard all the attacks on Trump’s running mate perpetrated by the mainstream media. One of its most recent defamatory statements is that JD Vance “hates women.” Megyn Kelly took to her platform to call out the utter absurdity of such a statement. - YouTube youtu.be “They just sent out a tweet saying he hates women,” said Kelly, “and why are they doing that?” “Because they've got to drive up their numbers with the women vote, and they are really, really hoping that Americans will forget that it is their party that's in favor of making women get punched in the face by male boxers masquerading as females, by making our little girls go into locker rooms and see penises everywhere, by letting 14-year-old girls have their breasts chopped off when they express a little gender confusion,” she lambasted, pointing out the twisted irony of such an accusation. “That's their party, and so they really want us to get upset over childless cat lady comments?” she asked, pointing to the “compliant media who will push these lies.” Kelly then pointed out another ironic attack on Vance — the accusation that “he's reversed his position on many, many issues.” “They'll trot out some trans friend of JD’s from law school saying, ‘He's reversed himself on everything, just for money and power,’ without calling to attention the fact that Kamala Harris has reversed herself in the past 24 hours on at least four massive policy positions that would actually affect millions of Americans,” Kelly criticized, lamenting that the media’s lies and hypocrisy is something “Republicans face every election cycle.” Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Colorado State University quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi reportedly turned down a massive sum of money to change schools and said his job as a college athlete isn't to maximize his revenue streams.Colorado State coach Jay Norvell revealed in a recent press conference that Fowler-Nicolosi told him he was offered $600,000 to enter the transfer portal and play for Kansas State University.'My job in college isn't to sit here and make as much money as I can.'"He said that a guy from Kansas State called and offered him $600,000 because they lost their quarterback," Novell said in a video posted by On3. "I'm not accusing Kansas State of anything; I'm just telling you what the kid told me. Massive contracts for the name, image, and likeness of college players are now routinely paid out since the rule change in 2021 allowed players to make money off their brands. It has since become somewhat common for athletes to transfer to bigger schools in hopes of growing their following and getting bigger endorsements.Fowler-Nicolosi, however, offered a refreshing take on the situation when asked by reporters about not taking the offer."I didn't come here to make money. I came here to win games and play ball for the Rams," the sophomore replied. "I think if we play ball here, we do our job, we do what we're supposed to, we win championships, go to the playoff, shock the world, I think the money will come eventually."The quarterback seemed confident that the money for himself and his teammates will eventually come with their success."My job in college isn't to sit here and make as much money as I can. I know the new landscape is exciting for a lot of people. There's a lot of opportunities out there, but at the end of the day, I'm a 20-year-old kid with higher goals in life than to make money in college. So as much as a blessing that would be and set myself up for a long time, I think if I do my job here and we get it done and perform like we know how we're supposed to, I think there's several people on this team that will be taken care of for life after college."'The money in college is nice, but ... that's not my ultimate goal.'Wide receiver Tory Horton may be one of the players the 20-year-old was referring to. According to CBS News Colorado reporter Richie Cozzolino, Horton was also "offered $600,000 to hit the transfer portal."Horton too answered questions about his decision to stay and said growing as a person at Colorado State is important to him."You want to go somewhere where you want to be, and where you love, and where you enjoy growing and having that experience and becoming the man that you want to be," he explained. "The money in college is nice, but ... that's not my ultimate goal."Horton added that he knew what he was getting with the Colorado State system and that also influenced his choice to stay put.These decisions give hope to schools that worry that their top players will be targeted for transfers by bigger programs. However, Colorado State is not exactly a small school that doesn't have the revenue streams to make similar offers to its players.The school was ranked 61st in a nationwide ranking of college athletic departments with over $61 million in annual revenue.Kansas State was 49th with about $100 million in revenue.Schools don't exactly want their offers out in the public eye, however, as Coach Norvell noted in his interview."If they don't want their name thrown in it, I think they should probably get a handle on their people," he said of Kansas State. "There's a lot of that going on in college football; that's just the way things are right now," he added.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

You can bag a free copy of Star Wars Outlaws when you buy selected MSI hardware and peripherals, including keyboards, mice, and cases. That's right, free game deals usually require the purchase of a graphics card or motherboard, but MSI is opening the space up with a wider range of eligible products included in this new offer. This is great news for those who already own any of the best graphics cards, as you can instead look at different upgrades for your gaming setup while still being able to get a new free game in the process. Star Wars Outlaws is set for release on August 30, which is when this offer will go live. Continue reading Grab a free copy of Star Wars Outlaws, thanks to MSI MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

What are the new Anime Card Battle codes? Roblox anime games are often among the best and most popular experiences on the platform, but you can make them even better by redeeming codes for free rewards. Anime Card Battle is very competitive and requires some smart deckbuilding, so free buffs and items are always much appreciated. This isn't the first Roblox game in the genre to offer freebies either. Using the latest Anime Last Stand codes or Anime Dimensions codes can grant you all manner of helpful extras. For now, though, let's get into all of the Anime Card Battle codes and how to redeem them. Continue reading Anime Card Battle codes August 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Roblox games, Roblox promo codes, Roblox music codes

When you’ve been playing something for so long, any big change is going to be disconcerting at first. Hunt Showdown 1896 is a transformative update to the now five-year-old Crytek FPS, adding a new map, overhauled visuals, and dozens of large and small quality-of-life changes. It’s precisely the soft relaunch that Hunt could use - but right now, just one day after it was first released, 1896 is drawing an enormous amount of criticism from Steam players. The concurrent user count is strong and time will likely heal the biggest issues here, but for the time being, the review bombing is pretty intense. Continue reading Hunt Showdown 1896 is being review bombed on Steam already MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Hunt: Showdown review

Here's a Video That Straight Up ENDS Dems' Attempts to Distance Themselves From 'Bidenomics'

Harris and Walz Bring the Cringe With 'White Guy Tacos' Video, Community Notes Dunks on Them

It’s been a while, old friend. | Photo by Callum Booth / The Verge Is this the tipping point that causes third-party iOS app stores to take off? Continue reading…