An FBI statement regarding last year’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump has resurfaced, stirring controversy as some suggest the event was orchestrated internally.
To recall, in July 2024, Donald Trump, who was 79 at the time, was at a campaign rally close to Butler, Pennsylvania. During the event, a 20-year-old named Thomas Matthew Crooks, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, began shooting from a rooftop. He fired eight bullets at Trump.
Trump was slightly injured by a shot that grazed his ear. Sadly, Crooks killed one person attending the rally and seriously injured two more before a Secret Service agent shot Crooks dead.
After this harrowing incident, Trump quickly shared a message on social media stating he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” describing the sound of the shots and the immediate sensation as the bullet skimmed his skin.
In the week that followed, Trump’s team released a medical report from a previous White House physician, which confirmed the gunshot wound. The report detailed how the bullet barely missed entering Trump’s skull, instead striking the enR-top of his right ear and assured everyone that Trump was recuperating well.
As the anniversary of this attempted assassination nears, skeptics are examining photos of Trump’s ear from before and after the incident, arguing there’s no visible change.
These doubters suggest that the unchanged look of his ear is “evidence” that the shooting was staged for sympathy and political backing, asserting Trump suffered “no actual injury.”
A tweet pointed out, “Ear cartilage generally does NOT regrow,” and another labeled the event as “probably the biggest charade ever.”
During the attack’s aftermath, FBI Director Christopher Wray addressed some uncertainty about whether Trump was directly struck by a bullet or shrapnel during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
Asked about the recovery of all eight bullets fired by Crooks, Wray admitted he didn’t have that information immediately on hand. He noted, “There’s some debate on whether it was a bullet or shrapnel that hit Trump’s ear,” suggesting the bullet that grazed him could have ended up somewhere else, although he believed all cartridge casings were collected.
A spokesman later reiterated to Newsweek that their stance was “consistent and clear” regarding this being an assassination attempt resulting in Trump’s injury, one death, and additional injuries.
The FBI’s comprehensive investigation persists
“FBI Director Wray provided thorough congressional testimony on Wednesday concerning the ongoing investigation. This was a vicious attack, and we are putting a lot of effort into understanding every detail about the shooter and his motivations,” said the spokesperson.
The FBI’s Shooting Reconstruction Team continues to scrutinize evidence, including bullet fragments from the scene, as the investigation proceeds.
Responses to the FBI’s statements varied. One Redditor expressed, “I find it peculiar that Trump hasn’t yet displayed the ear’s damage…to me, that supports the shrapnel theory.”
Another echoed, “The absence of visible harm contradicts the whole ‘I TOOK A BULLET FOR DEMOCRACY’ narrative.”
Some calls for evidence, such as one person noting, “I’ve been requesting them to release photos, but I’m dismissed as a ‘conspiracy theorist’. I need evidence beyond the word of someone with 34 felony charges.”
Others, observing his recent activities, remarked, “I watched a video of him playing golf yesterday, his ear was shown up-close — no sign of injury.”
