DONALD Trump’s failed assassin warned “July 13 will be my premiere” in a chilling post forecasting plans to open fire on the former president.
Thomas Crooks, 20, wrote the sinister message on the popular gaming platform Steam, ominously foreshadowing the shooting with its exact date.
US senators were briefed on the posts and a series of worrying Google searches during a briefing by the FBI on Wednesday.
FBI agents had scoured his devices and found that Crooks had also “scoped out” the rally venue where he later shot Trump.
Crooks had allegedly written “July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds” on the online platform Steam, Fox News reported.
The FBI also found images of Trump and President Joe Biden, along with searches for key dates for the upcoming Democratic National Convention and the former President’s July 13 rally.
FBI agents also discovered searches for an unnamed member of the Royal Family, reports The Times.
But agents found nothing to suggest Crooks held strong political beliefs.
Senators were also told that the crazed shooter had two phones.
One was recovered at the scene of the shooting, while the other was located at his home with 27 contacts.
The FBI is said to be keen to interview those people.
It comes as shock footage emerged showing Crooks lurking around the building he shot Trump from an hour before the assassination attempt.
Crooks can be seen loitering away from the crowd waiting for ex-President Trump to speak in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The video, reported by WTAE-TV in Pittsburg, was taken by a man attending the rally with his son – who later realised he captured Crooks appearing to scope out his shooting platform.
The footage was taken at 5:03pm before Crooks opened fire from atop that building at 6:11pm, when a bullet grazed Trump’s ear.
Tragically, retired fire chief Corey Comperatore was struck and killed.
The video shows Crooks in the background, walking on a lawn by a building, before panning to the left to show the Republican rally crowd.
The camera then pans back and Crooks can be spotted again – this time appearing to look up at the building.
The man who recorded the video, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Pittsburg TV station: “I wanted to pan the crowd because it was a massive crowd, so I was just taking in the moment.
“So this was before the shooting. Obviously I had no idea how that day would end.
“When I saw the video last night, when I was going back through my my video clips and saw him, I was chilled to the point where I couldn’t fall asleep right away.”
It has been claimed that Secret Service agents failed to properly secure the area ahead of the event, even after flagging the shooter’s perch as a security risk.
Pressure has been mounting for the head of the agency to step down following the biggest failure in presidential security for decades.
John Barrasso, Republican senator for Wyoming, said the briefing was a “cover-your-ass” meeting.
He said Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service director, “needs to go”.
More shocking video appeared to show rally-goers shouting at police as they saw shooter Crooks climbing onto a nearby roof.
And another report even claims a local police officer confronted the shooter before climbing down – seconds before Trump was hit.
