BlackRock pulls 2022 ad showing Trump gunman

BlackRock has stated that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who shot and injured former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, briefly appeared in the background of an advertisement video released in 2022.

The world’s largest asset manager disclosed that Crooks was one of several students featured in an ad filmed at Bethel Park High School, where he graduated in 2022. BlackRock acknowledged that Crooks, a registered Republican, was not paid for his appearance and that the ad primarily featured a teacher from the school.

“In 2022, we ran an ad featuring a teacher from Bethel Park High School, in which several unpaid students briefly appeared in the background, including Thomas Matthew Crooks,” BlackRock said in a statement.

In response to the incident, BlackRock condemned the attack, calling it “abhorrent” and expressing gratitude that Trump was not seriously injured. The company also extended thoughts to the innocent bystanders and victims, particularly the person who was killed.

“The assassination attempt on former President Trump is abhorrent. We’re thankful former President Trump wasn’t seriously injured, and thinking about all the innocent bystanders and victims of this awful act, especially the person who was killed,” the statement said.

BlackRock announced it would remove the ad from circulation and make the footage available to authorities. A video on X from A. Westgate shows the ad in full.

BlackRock and crypto

This connection comes at a sensitive time for BlackRock, which is set to report its second-quarter earnings Monday. The asset manager has previously faced scrutiny after US shootings due to some of its index funds owning shares in gunmakers. BlackRock has made significant strides in the crypto and blockchain markets in recent years, and currently runs the world’s largest Bitcoin fund.

In January 2024, BlackRock launched the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), allowing investors to trade bitcoin through standard brokerage accounts. The fund has attracted approximately $16.5 billion in assets. BlackRock has also introduced a blockchain and tech ETF, launched a tokenized fund on the Ethereum network, and integrated its Aladdin® operating platform with Coinbase’s crypto exchange.

At the time of writing, BlackRock’s IBIT is up 0.46% at +0.15 points per share closing at 32.85.