More than three weeks after launching an attack on a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the motive of gunman Thomas Crooks remains, according to the mainstream media, a true mystery.

However, according to Andrew Torba, CEO of social media network Gab, the sentiments that perhaps animated Crooks' violent conduct are not unknown, with pro-Biden, pro-immigration posts once populating his account on the platform, as Newsmax reports, bolstering claims that violent rhetoric from Democrats contributed to the tragic events of July 13.

Claims of ignorance abound

In the wake of the incident that killed one spectator, seriously injured two others, and left Trump with a wound to the ear, media pundits and some politicians have claimed ignorance as to what may have driven Crooks to open fire on the rally crowd.

Though a number of Republicans pointed to language from none other than President Joe Biden, who had suggested that Trump needed to be put “in the bulls-eye,” as a potential spark point for Crooks' conduct, liberal sources and commentators went out of their way to discredit such claims.

The Washington Post, for instance, called the notion that Democrats' own language may have pushed the assailant over the edge “baseless,” while Biden himself worked hard to put distance between himself and his words.

Though he admitted that the word “bulls-eye” may not have been the best choice, he denied involvement in the use of potentially dangerous discourse, saying, “Look, I have not engaged in that rhetoric. Now, my opponent has engaged in that rhetoric. He talks about being a bloodbath if he loses,” referencing a prior Trump statement that actually related to economic effects of poor policy.

Republicans voice dissent

Regardless of Biden's disclaimer, however, many Republicans remained unconvinced, as the BBC noted, with Georgia Rep. Mike Collins writing on X, “Joe Biden sent the orders.”

Collins later added, “Notice that after an attempted assassination of President Trump, the same people who wanted him prosecuted for telling his supporters to peacefully march to the Capitol on January 6 are not calling for President Biden's prosecution after he said it was time to put President Trump in the bullseye after their debate.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) expressed her belief that “much of the rhetoric from the left has escalated to this moment. President Trump was literally put in a bullseye after the president of the United States, the sitting president of the United States, called for him to be put in a bullseye.”

Even so, the mainstream media still did its best to downplay any such link, insisting that the Secret Service and other investigatory bodies were still unsure about Crooks' true motives.

Gab CEO comes forward

Last Tuesday, Torba stepped forward to contradict claims made by the FBI regarding Crooks' account on the platform, saying that agency statements on the matter are “not consistent” with an Emergency Disclosure Request dispatched the prior week and the materials his company produced in response.

Taking to X to explain, Torba declared that the account information for Crooks sought by the FBI was found to be “UNEQUIVOCALLY, pro-Biden and in particular pro-Biden's immigration policy.”

“To the best of Gab's knowledge, as of 2021, Crooks was a pro-lockdown, pro-immigration, left-wing Joe Biden supporter,” Torba added.

The tech executive explained, “Normally we don't confirm the existence or content of law enforcement communications. In this instance, we had to make an exception due to overwhelming public interest in disclosure and transparency,” something which has been sadly lacking when it comes to the attempt on a former president's life.