FBI Director Christopher Wray appeared before Congress on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, expressing doubt about the nature of the injury sustained by former President Donald Trump during an assassination attempt at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.
On the day of the incident, July 13, 2024, Trump was speaking to his supporters at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when gunfire erupted from a nearby rooftop. Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was identified as the shooter. Crooks discharged multiple rounds before being apprehended by Secret Service agents. The incident resulted in one rally attendee’s death and injuries to two others. Trump suffered an injury to his ear.
During his Congressional testimony, Wray spoke of the uncertainty surrounding the precise nature of Trump’s injury. “There’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” Wray stated. He confirmed that all the bullets fired by Crooks were accounted for by the FBI, but it remained unclear whether a bullet was indeed the cause of Trump’s injury.
Trump responded to Wray’s testimony on his Truth Social platform, criticizing the FBI Director for casting doubt about the object that caused his injury. Trump posted …”FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress yesterday that he wasn’t sure if I was hit by shrapnel, glass, or a bullet (the FBI never even checked!). Wrong!”
Trump insisted that there was no glass or shrapnel involved. “The hospital called it a ‘bullet wound to the ear,’ and that is what it was,” he stated.
While speaking at the Republican National Convention, Trump described the incident, saying, “I 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.’” He was observed wearing a bandage on his ear, which he asserted was due to the injury from the attack.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a statement to the media rejecting doubts about Trump’s injury. “Anyone who believes this conspiracy bs is either mentally deficient or willfully peddling falsehoods for political reasons,” Cheung remarked.
On July 20, Trump shared a note from Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), a political ally and former White House physician, describing the injury. Jackson detailed a “bullet track” that caused a wound nearly an inch wide, extending down to the ear’s cartilage. According to Jackson, no stitches were needed, but the injury required dressing due to periodic bleeding.
According to Wray, the FBI has carried out over 400 interviews concerning the assassination attempt and intends to conduct many more.
The episode has amplified the divided opinions regarding the FBI and its leadership. House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned Wray’s testimony, stating, “Evidence shows it was a bullet that went through Trump’s ear, and Wray has a credibility problem.”