Open-source intelligence analysts reported that Crooks didn’t appear to use mainstream social media channels such as Facebook or Instagram and had an almost negligible internet footprint, which is highly unusual for a 20-year-old. Instead, analysts said that Crooks corresponded with friends and associates on a Discord server that they were now trying to access.
Discord servers are restricted ring-fenced sections of the internet. They are often used by gaming groups and communities as secure chat rooms but are also used by fringe organisations to push their ideologies and discuss wild conspiracy theories and plots.
I still think he was definitely some kind of corporate neo-liberal "centrist" Democrat. He could have just registered Republican to vote for nuclear warmonger Nikki Haley against Trump in the primaries.
Here's an interesting snip from the Wikipedia article on him:
"On January 20, 2021, at the age of 17, he donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project, a liberal voter turnout group, through the Democratic Party donation platform ActBlue."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Matthew_Crooks
Apparently a former friend also described him as "right-leaning," but that could easily describe any neo-liberal, Clintonite DNC hack.
Normal Americans don't describe Clintonites or liberals as "right leaning"
Disagree. I consider myself normal and call out the Clintonites for being right-wing assholes all the freaking time. ;-)
He was living in a pro trump household. Maybe he was rebelling when he donated, maybe he was pressured to register Republican, its a toss up for me.
I can't find any evidence of his family supporting Trump. Their local city councilor, a Democrat who recalled speaking with his parents, stated that the mother is a Democrat and the father is a Libertarian. He also stated the parents were pleasant and open to hearing his platform. Doesn't sound pro-Trump at all.