What We Do and Don’t Know About Trump’s Ear Wound

Trump’s ear wound from an assassination attempt at a rally on July 13 quickly became a symbol of solidarity for many of his supporters, and a grim reminder of political violence in the U.S.

Trump’s team has largely remained tight-lipped about the ear wound, refraining from publicly sharing the former President’s medical records or conducting a press briefing at the Pennsylvania hospital where he was treated. The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

But comments by FBI Director Christopher Wray on July 24 indicated there might be more the American public did not know about the injury. Wray suggested in congressional testimony that the wound may have been caused by shrapnel, while Trump and his former White House physician had said it was caused by a bullet.

Amid the ongoing public discourse, on July 26, the FBI released a statement directly addressing what struck Trump during the assassination attempt.

Here’s what we know about Trump’s ear wound.

FBI releases a statement

On Friday, July 26, the FBI released a statement addressing Trump's ear injury.

“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, per the Washington Post.

Trump issued a response via his own social media platform, Truth Social. Alongside a re-post of the statement, he wrote: "I assume that’s the best apology that we'll get from Director Wray, but it is fully accepted!"

Wray said it might be from shrapnel

During a House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, July 24, Wray provided new details about the investigation into the assassination attempt and revealed that the agency is not certain the wound was caused by a bullet.

 “There’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” he said. 

Read More: America’s Political Violence Crisis

Trump has not released his medical records

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting in Butler, Pa., Trump was treated at Butler Memorial Hospital, but his team did not share details of his wound or care. Doctors at the hospital were not made available for a press conference or questions, and Trump has not released his medical records from the treatment. 

Former White House physician said it was caused by a bullet

On July 20, a week after the shooting, Trump shared a signed letter from former White House physician Ronny Jackson, now a Republican congressman from Texas, who released new details about the injury and claimed that the wound was caused by a gunshot wound.  

In the letter, Jackson said Trump had a 2 cm-wide gunshot wound in the right ear from a high-powered rifle. “There was initially significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper ear,” Jackson wrote. “The swelling has since resolved, and the wound is beginning to granulate and heal properly. Based on the highly vascular nature of the ear, there is still intermittent bleeding requiring a dressing to be in place. Given the broad and blunt nature of the wound itself, no sutures were required.”

He said that Trump received a thorough evaluation—including a CT scan— at Butler Memorial Hospital, and will undergo further evaluations, including a hearing test. 

Jackson slammed Wray on X after Wray’s testimony, saying it was “absolutely irresponsible” for Wray to suggest the injury may have been caused by shrapnel. “IT WAS A BULLET — I’VE SEEN THE WOUND!” Jackson wrote. “PATHETIC!!!

Jackson is a Trump ally and has come under fire in recent years after a Pentagon inspector general’s report revealed allegations that Jackson had engaged in “inappropriate conduct” as White House physician. 

Trump’s descriptions of the shooting

Trump has made some comments about his experience. On the evening of Thursday, July 25, he pushed back against Wray’s comments, asserting that it was in fact a bullet that hit him. “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!), but he was sure that Crooked Joe Biden was physically and cognitively “uneventful” - Wrong!” he wrote in a post on Truth Social. “No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. The hospital called it a “bullet wound to the ear,” and that is what it was.”

In a speech at the Republican convention on July 18, Trump, the Republican nominee, said that a bullet “came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life."

“I said to myself, wow, what was that, it can only be a bullet, and moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down,” he said. “The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had not moved my head at that very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark and I would not be here tonight.”

In a social media post after the rally on July 13, Trump wrote, “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”

In a private phone call with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that was posted online, Trump said that in the moment, the object whizzing past him at the rally felt like “the world’s largest mosquito.”

Eric Trump, the former President’s son, told CBS News that his father has referred to the injury as "the greatest earache he's ever had," but that he did not require stitches and that his hearing is fine.