Donald Trump Might Not Have Been Shot After All

On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that it remains uncertain whether former President Donald Trump was struck by a bullet or hit by shrapnel during a shooting incident at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, earlier this month.

The FBI is currently investigating the July 13 shooting, which resulted in the death of one rally attendee and serious injuries to two others before the assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was fatally shot by Secret Service agents.

Trump was quickly escorted off the stage with a bleeding ear. That evening, he claimed in a post on his Truth Social platform that he had been "shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," describing how he heard "a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin."

A week following the incident, the Trump campaign released a note from Dr. Ronny Jackson, a Texas Representative and Trump's former White House physician. The note stated that Trump sustained a gunshot wound to his right ear, just "less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head," and that it struck the top of his right ear. Dr. Jackson assured that Trump was "doing well and recovering as expected."

However, during his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Wray indicated that it is still unclear whether Trump's injury was caused by a bullet or shrapnel. When California Representative Kevin Kiley inquired about the proximity of the bullet to potentially killing Trump, Wray responded that, based on current understanding, either a bullet or a piece of shrapnel was responsible for grazing Trump's ear.

Later in the hearing, Committee Chairman Jim Jordan asked Wray whether all eight bullets fired by the gunman had been accounted for. Jordan inquired about whether any of the victims, including those seriously injured or killed, had been struck multiple times, and where the remaining bullets might have ended up.

Wray admitted that he did not have detailed information on hand. He acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding whether Trump's ear injury was due to a bullet or shrapnel and suggested that, although it is possible the bullet might have caused additional injuries, all shots from the cartridges should be accounted for.

The FBI, which was not responsible for security at the rally, has not faced the same level of scrutiny as the Secret Service. Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the agency, resigned on Tuesday following intense questioning by lawmakers regarding the security lapse that led to the shooting. In her resignation email, Cheatle took "full responsibility" for the incident.

Wray assured on Wednesday that the FBI is committed to thoroughly investigating the situation and will "work tirelessly to get to the bottom of what happened."