The FBI has confirmed that former President Donald Trump was struck by a bullet or a bullet fragment when a gunman fired at him earlier this month.
“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," the agency said in a statement Friday.
Trump was struck in the ear on July 13 during a political rally in Butler, Pa., and wore a bandage during the Republican National Convention. A 50-year-old former fire chief was killed and two other rally-goers were seriously wounded in the attack. The gunman was killed by the Secret Service.
FBI Director Christopher Wray received criticism on Wednesday for saying it was unclear whether Trump's bloodied ear was the result of a bullet or shrapnel.
Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Wray was asked by Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, whether all the bullets from the attempted assassination were accounted for.
"I don't have that in front of me. I'm happy to circle back and get that to you, assuming we have that information yet," Wray said. "I think with respect to former President Trump, there's some question about whether or not it's a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear."
Up until Friday, federal officials investigating the attack on Trump were largely vague in their reports of Trump's injuries.
Trump and his former White House physician, Ronnie Jackson, have repeatedly asserted that Trump was struck by a bullet. Last week, Jackson released a detailed account of how a bullet struck and wounded the former president.
Speaking at the Republican National Convention last week, Trump said he "heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear. I said to myself, 'Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet.' "
Copyright 2024 NPR
