The FBI has verified that former President Donald Trump was struck by a bullet, addressing the uncertainty brought up by FBI Director Christopher Wray. On Friday, the agency confirmed in a brief statement that Trump was hit by a bullet, either whole or fragmented, at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
Prior to this, Trump and his former doctor, Rep. Ronny Jackson, had dismissed Wray’s suggestion that something other than a bullet might have caused the injury to Trump’s ear.
FBI Director Wray had testified before Congress, expressing uncertainty about whether a bullet or shrapnel struck Trump. His comments sparked a strong reaction from Trump, who criticized Wray on Truth Social, accusing him of not properly investigating the incident and of downplaying its severity. Wray had indicated that the investigation was ongoing and that bullet fragments found at the rally site were still being analyzed.
Rep. Ronny Jackson, who treated Trump after the shooting, emphasized in a statement on Friday that there was no evidence of anything other than a bullet causing Trump’s injury.
FBI Confirms Bullet Injury to Trump at Pennsylvania Rally, Addressing Previous Uncertainty
Jackson, with his extensive medical experience, supported the assessment of the doctors at Butler Memorial Hospital who treated Trump on the day of the shooting. He called for Congress to correct the record, asserting that Wray’s comments were inappropriate.
Sen. Lindsey Graham also weighed in, urging Wray to correct his statement to avoid further confusion and credibility issues for the FBI. Graham stressed that it was evident Trump had survived an assassination attempt and that this should be clearly acknowledged. Despite the FBI’s ongoing investigation, the hospital has yet to release medical reports about the incident.
Trump has repeatedly referenced the assassination attempt in his public appearances, claiming he “took a bullet for democracy.” On Friday, he announced he had removed the last bandage from his ear and had recovered well. He also announced plans for another rally in Butler to honor Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who died protecting his family during the shooting.
Trump’s campaign activities continue, with plans for a rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and an appearance at Bitcoin2024 in Nashville. Despite the assassination attempt, Trump stated he would continue holding outdoor rallies, contradicting earlier statements from his campaign staff about moving events indoors for safety reasons.
The House has also voted to establish a task force to investigate the assassination attempt, aiming to understand what went wrong and prevent future incidents.
