![FBI Confirms Bullet Struck Donald Trump’s Ear in Assassination Attempt](/sites/default/files/styles/focal_point_325x195/public/2024-07/IMG_6889.jpeg?h=73306683&itok=S_BLC0AB)
Wray's comments had cast doubt on whether Trump had been hit by a bullet, angering Trump and his allies and fueling conspiracy theories across the political spectrum.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed on Friday that a bullet struck Donald Trump’s ear, clarifying conflicting accounts of his injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
The agency in a statement said, “What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle.”
This one-sentence statement marked the most definitive law enforcement account of Trump’s injuries, following ambiguous comments from FBI Director Christopher Wray earlier in the week.
Wray's comments had cast doubt on whether Trump had been hit by a bullet, angering Trump and his allies and fueling conspiracy theories across the political spectrum.
Federal law enforcement, including the FBI and Secret Service, had previously refused to provide information about Trump’s injuries. Trump's campaign also declined to release medical records or make his doctors available for questions. Updates came from Trump or his former White House doctor, Ronny Jackson, now a Texas congressman, who has been treating Trump since the attack but is not his primary care physician.
The FBI’s reluctance to support Trump’s version of events immediately has heightened tensions between Trump and the FBI, which he could soon control again. Trump and his supporters have long accused federal law enforcement of being weaponized against him, claims that Wray has consistently denied.
At a West Palm Beach event, Trump criticized the suggestion that he was struck by glass or shrapnel instead of a bullet, drawing boos from the crowd. Trump appeared without a bandage on his ear for the first time, showing no signs of bleeding or significant injury. Questions about Trump’s wound emerged immediately after the attack, with law enforcement and campaign officials initially declining to provide details.
Despite photos showing a projectile near Trump’s head, Trump claimed on Truth Social that he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.” In a speech at the Republican National Convention, Trump described the incident in detail while wearing a large gauze bandage over his right ear.
The first detailed medical account came from Jackson, who described a 2 cm wide wound in Trump’s ear. Jackson’s statement faced scrutiny, and the FBI and Secret Service did not initially confirm it. Wray’s testimony introduced further uncertainty, suggesting it could have been shrapnel that hit Trump.
On Thursday, the FBI clarified that the shooting was an “attempted assassination of former President Trump which resulted in his injury, as well as the death of a heroic father and the injuries of several other victims.” The FBI said its Shooting Reconstruction Team continues to examine bullet fragments and other evidence.
Jackson criticized any suggestion that Trump’s ear was bloodied by anything other than a bullet as reckless. He insisted there was no evidence Trump was struck by anything else, based on his medical background and experience treating gunshot wounds. The FBI declined to comment on Jackson's letters.
Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, condemned the media for engaging in conspiracy theories. Cheung said questioning the assassination attempt was shameful, especially since it resulted in injuries and a death. He criticized those doubting the shooting, calling them “mentally deficient or willfully peddling falsehoods for political reasons.”
Senator Lindsey Graham urged Wray to correct his testimony, emphasizing that Trump had been hit by a bullet and questioning the FBI's credibility. Trump also criticized Wray on Truth Social, reaffirming that it was a bullet that hit his ear, not glass or shrapnel. He expressed frustration at Wray’s comments, considering them damaging to the FBI’s reputation.
Jackson has faced scrutiny over the years for his conduct and statements during his tenure as White House physician. Trump appointed Wray as FBI director in 2017, but their relationship soured over the bureau’s investigations involving Trump. Trump flirted with the idea of firing Wray as his term drew to a close and lashed out after the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago to recover classified documents from his presidency.
The FBI's confirmation of the bullet wound brings some resolution to questions about Trump’s injuries. However, the broader implications of the attack and law enforcement’s response continue to reverberate in political discourse.