Did trump really get shot on ear?
Executive summary
Multiple independent news organizations and government statements conclude that Donald Trump was struck in the right ear during the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania; the FBI and Trump’s physician described the wound as caused by a bullet grazing or striking the upper part of his right ear, and photographic evidence showed bleeding and a bandage in the immediate aftermath [1] [2] [3].
1. The core fact: official and medical statements say a bullet hit his ear
The FBI publicly stated that Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during the July 13 incident, and former White House physician Rep. Ronny Jackson described a gunshot wound to the right ear in a letter that was circulated after the shooting, saying the projectile struck the top of the ear and came “less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head” [1] [4] [2].
2. What eyewitness photos and immediate reporting showed
Photographs and news coverage from the scene and the days after showed blood on Trump’s right ear and a large white bandage when he later appeared at the Republican National Convention, consistent with an external wound to the ear, and mainstream outlets documented those images while noting reporting gaps about his in-hospital care [3] [5] [2].
3. Reconciling early confusion and competing explanations
In the week after the shooting there was public confusion about whether the injury was caused by a bullet, shrapnel, or other debris; Trump’s team initially released limited medical detail, prompting questions and speculation, but later statements from his physician and the FBI framed the wound as a gunshot injury rather than a non-ballistic cause [2] [1].
4. Independent reporting and investigations corroborate but probe details
News organizations and later government reviews treated the ear wound as having occurred while also examining wider security failures and sequence-of-fire questions; outlets such as PBS, TIME and the Palm Beach Post summarized evidence that a bullet grazed the ear while also documenting the deaths and injuries at the rally and scrutiny over Secret Service performance [6] [2] [7].
5. Misinformation and skeptical narratives that circulated
False or misleading claims emerged quickly—examples include circulated photos taken in 2022 presented as proof his ear was undamaged and fabricated social-media posts about miraculous regrowth—fact-checkers and news outlets debunked specific photo and social-post falsehoods while still acknowledging the documented wound [3] [4].
6. Limits of publicly available evidence and remaining questions
While government and physician statements and contemporaneous photos point to a bullet strike grazing the upper right ear, the full medical records and some forensic specifics have not been publicly released, leaving nuance about projectile type, exact trajectory, and internal damage partially unavailable to outside reporters [1] [2].
7. Bottom line and alternate perspectives
The evidentiary record assembled by mainstream outlets and the FBI supports the factual claim that Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during the July 13, 2024 attack; nevertheless, a small number of skeptics and social-media narratives questioned the scale or nature of the injury and circulated debunked images, and journalists continue to note gaps in public medical documentation and in the Secret Service’s initial handling of the event [1] [3] [6].