On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, Christopher Wray, the Director of the FBI, testified before Congress and expressed doubt about whether the injury sustained by former President Donald Trump during an assassination attempt was caused by a bullet or shrapnel. The attempt on Trump’s life occurred at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.
Wray’s remarks have introduced more unanswered questions into an already intricate investigation.
During the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, gunfire erupted from a neighboring rooftop while Trump was addressing his supporters. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, fired several shots before being fatally shot by Secret Service agents. The assault resulted in the death of one rally participant and injuries to two others. Trump sustained an injury to his ear.
In his Congressional testimony, Director Wray acknowledged that there was uncertainty surrounding the exact nature of Trump’s injury. “There’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” said Wray. He verified that the FBI had accounted for all the bullets fired by Crooks, but could not confirm if the object that struck Trump was indeed a bullet.
Trump did not mince words on his Truth Social platform in response to Wray’s testimony. He disputed the FBI Director’s suggestion that there was any doubt about what hit him. Trump stated …”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!”
In his post, he asserted, “There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. The hospital called it a ‘bullet wound to the ear,’ and that is what it was.”
At the Republican National Convention, Trump detailed 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.’” A dressing on his ear was noted, which he claimed was due to the injury from the attack.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, issued a statement to several media outlets dismissing doubts about Trump’s injury. “Anyone who believes this conspiracy b__s__ is either mentally deficient or willfully peddling falsehoods for political reasons,” Cheung said.
On July 20, Trump made public a note from Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), a political ally and former White House physician, describing the injury. Jackson outlined a “bullet track” that resulted in a wound nearly an inch wide, penetrating down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear. Jackson noted no sutures were necessary, but dressing was required due to intermittent bleeding.
Wray revealed that the FBI has conducted more than 400 interviews related to the assassination attempt and intends to conduct many more.
The incident has amplified the divide in opinions regarding the FBI and its leadership. House Speaker Mike Johnson voiced criticism of Wray’s testimony, stating, “Evidence shows it was a bullet that went through Trump’s ear, and Wray has a credibility problem.”