It seems every news report we have received in the last few days has referenced the search for the unknown “motive(s)” for Thomas Crooks’ trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump, an effort which injured the former president and also killed and injured innocent bystanders. Thomas Matthew Crooks … was a miserable self-obsessed loner who had some history of supporting Republicans and progressives.  When it comes to explaining upsetting events, people abhor a vacuum. Why do people want to know so desperately why something like this happened?  Because they think that the more accurately they can explain why something happened, the more accurately they can predict when and why it might happen again and ultimately control and prevent its reoccurrence. (READ MORE from Schaler and Vatz: Don’t Blame ‘Mental Illness’ for Mass Murder and Political Missteps) We have been writing on the fruitless search for “motives” of miscreants for decades, and here is what we have found: Specific motives are more often than not simply unknowable. Moreover, it doesn’t matter, in this case, whether Crooks was left-wing or right wing (evidence exists that he was conflicted), and when they are ascertainable, so what? John Hinckley is believed to have tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan to impress Jodie Foster, a person who never knew him, and given her sexual orientation would not have been interested in him regardless. Mark David Chapman, who murdered John Lennon, said he did so due to an alleged personal resentment against Mr. Lennon and a desire to emulate Holden Caulfied of the novel The Catcher in the Rye. They were just two insignificant people until they tried (or succeeded) to kill   important people. Knowing a motive doesn’t matter because motives do not tell you who is going to try and kill someone. Everyone can be seen to have a motive to kill.  Moreover, we cannot deprive a person of liberty or responsibility simply because we believe they are going to commit a crime. We have in our admittedly lengthy professional lives known many bizarre people, some of whom seemed capable of violence, but there is no way to predict who will be violent except by previous or ongoing behavior. Shall we start putting loners and “weird” people in protective custody for their own good and public safety? People who murder famous people are usually utterly uninteresting people, “nobodies,” who gain salience with society-at-large only one way: taking the life of an important person that makes them famous. And unfortunately, thanks to media sensationalism, they are right.  We label murderers like Crooks as having an “existential” motive.  Killing another gives the murderer a sense of meaning in his or her otherwise empty life. Probable Motive That is the likely motive in this case.  Thomas Matthew Crooks, often now identified by his full name like Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray and others, bespeaking their new-found assigned significance, was a miserable self-obsessed loner who had some history of supporting Republicans and progressives. Was he an ideologue?   There is no evidence of it.  He was friendless and bullied, but millions of people in this country are friendless and bullied … very few kill people and try to kill famous people. Did he expect to live?  No way of knowing, but by killing former President Trump he would likely have the existential significance of being known well and reviled by people who otherwise wouldn’t give him the time of day. There is no way in a country of 340 million people to prevent such attempts at violence from those who cannot be successful at anything else, but who think that people now will have to “know me.” Those committed to assassination prevention know that family or others’ providing the means for such miserable criminal-but-otherwise-nothings to murder others obviously can facilitate the acts themselves.  That is an avenue the criminal justice system should pursue. (READ MORE: Lies, Damned Lies, and Mass Shooting Statistics) Please, though, no more searches for the motives of this miserable miscreant.  Unless investigators find unknown ties to unsavory groups or countries, he is not worth anyone’s time. Jeffrey A. Ph.D. M.Ed., (ijas@me.com) is a psychologist and a retired professor of Justice, Law and Society at American University’s School of Public Affairs, and a retired member of the psychology faculty at Johns Hopkins University.  Dr. Schaler supervises existentially-oriented psychoanalysts and lives in Ellicott City, Md. Cell:  240-460-0987 Richard E. Vatz (rvatz@Towson.edu), Ph.D. is former psychology editor of USA Today Magazine.  He is a retired Towson University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Rhetoric and Communication. Cell 443-801-1281 The post A Worthless Search for Trump Shooter’s Motive appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Middletown, Ohio — After being introduced as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate last week at the Republican National Convention, Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance was accorded a hero’s welcome this afternoon in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio. “The idea,” said Vance, “that George Soros and Barack Obama and a couple of elite Democrats … decided to throw Joe Biden overboard is an insult to voters. Hundreds of Ohioans thronged the Middletown Performing Arts Center at the Middletown High School. Vance was not scheduled to speak until 2:00 p.m., but they began queuing up early, undaunted by long lines and nasty weather. The line to the entrance extended around the building for more than a mile. As for the weather, it was no deterrent. Attendees withstood rain and heavy storms throughout the morning, coming early to share their excitement for the hometown hero. (READ MORE from Hunter Oswald: The Plot That Almost Killed Hitler) The scene had a festive vibe. Those waiting in line played music and did group chants, invoking Vance’s name or shouting the now-famous Trump slogan from Butler, Pennsylvania: “Fight! Fight! Fight!” People from all backgrounds came wearing “Trump-Vance” t-shirts. Meanwhile across the street, a group of Democrat dissenters gathered in protest. But they were small. There was a lot of good midwestern conversation. The hometown folks seemed eager to share their thoughts and enthusiasm with The American Spectator. Chris, a Middletown native, expressed his excitement for Vance, whose Hillbilly Elegy made him famous long before his elevation by Trump. “His story resonates with me,” says Chris. “His challenges are some of the challenges that I have experienced in my life.” Beyond his personal identification with Vance, Chris believes that Vance “will attract younger voters” to the Trump ticket, “which is great.” Vance’s unique personal story was something that these small town southern Ohio natives could certainly relate to, but they also understood that people nationwide could relate. Donald, another resident, told me that “Vance’s unique experience is one of his greatest strengths.” Pols in Middletown The rally began with Republican local and state officials from around the Butler County area (yes, ironically, Middletown, Ohio shares the same county name as Butler, Pennsylvania) and state of Ohio, along with Republican national candidates, particularly Ohio’s U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno (who is locked into an important race with incumbent Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown) and U.S. Representative Warren Davidson. Moreno and Davidson vocally shared their support for Donald Trump and expressed why they believed that JD Vance is the right guy to be at Trump’s side in 2024. Then came Vance’s turn to speak. The room where he spoke was filled with over 800 people — the max capacity for the venue. I was told that organizers had to turn away almost a thousand people. Vance did not speak long, but he spoke effectively. For about 30 minutes, Trump’s running mate spoke to supporters about what he and Trump wish to do. For the majority of the rally, Vance spoke about how the “fight” (a common word of the afternoon) for America was grounded in “fighting for Middletown.” Vance talked about how his upbringing in Middletown had meant so much to him. He said that his hometown had a special “something that if we don’t fight [for it], will not be around for the next generation of kids.” Vance addressed various national issues. He spoke of “fixing the crisis” at the Southern border, of his and Trump’s plan to reassert America’s energy independence, and to “fight to restore the American dream.” Those statements had the crowd on its feet cheering, “Drill baby, drill!” and “U.S.A.! U.S.A!” A theme of Vance’s speech was that the fight for Middletown, Ohio is a fight for the forgotten towns and people of America. In closing, Vance emphasized the peculiar nature of this election, addressing the Democratic Party’s dumping of Joe Biden as the nominee, despite Biden winning the party’s primary. “The idea,” said Vance, “that George Soros and Barack Obama and a couple of elite Democrats got into a smoke-filled room and decided to throw Joe Biden overboard is an insult to voters. That is not how it works. That’s a threat to democracy.” (READ MORE: Keir Starmer’s Win Signals the UK’s New Leftist Course) JD Vance’s message is clear; if America is to be restored and offer its children a future of hope and opportunity, then Americans must vote to reelect Donald Trump. And as Democrats face chaos and uncertainty from the fallout of Joe Biden’s decision to not run for reelection, Vance’s very personal and classic midwestern rally was a clear signal of his certain commitment to fight to win the 2024 election. The post Middletown Rally Signals Vance’s Strength appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Someone who regularly visited Crooks home and work also visited a building in Washington, DC located in Gallery Place. This is in the same vicinity of an @FBI office on June 26, 2023. Who’s device is this? pic.twitter.com/b9ZIO5utDC — Oversight Project (@OversightPR) July 22, 2024

? BOOM ? Rep. Anna Paulina Luna leaves disgraced Secret Service Director Cheatle shaking and in SILENCE after catching her in perjury LIE "You have perjured yourself. I ask that we bring perjury charges against the Director. We are prepared to hold you in contempt!" WATCH: pic.twitter.com/4wimNzGDbP — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 22, 2024

This is the last time Joe Biden was seen. It was five days ago. Nobody knows where he is, what he’s doing, if he’s okay, or who is running the country at the moment. pic.twitter.com/ozT7YBYhVW — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) July 22, 2024

by Martin Armstrong, Armstrong Economics: Donald Trump has guaranteed to end the war in Ukraine if elected president, vowing to do so before his first day in office. The recent outpouring of support for Donald Trump has led world leaders to consider the possibility of a second Trump presidency. Perhaps no one would dread a […]

NEW AUDIO DATA. UPDATED analysis. I am pulling back on the estimated distance of shooters for rounds 6 and 7, and adding two additional rounds discovered in multiple audio files. We now have 10 rounds total, with #10 believed to be Secret Service, and #9 believed to be PA LEO.… pic.twitter.com/63M7tCB0rv — HealthRanger (@HealthRanger) July […]

"There was no Plan B in my life, ever" - Jon Bon Jovi