Official Conclusion: The Bullet Itself Caused the Injury
Based on forensic analysis, medical evaluations, and statements from the (Biden era) FBI and Trump’s physicians, Donald Trump’s ear was struck by a bullet (or fragment of one) fired from the shooter’s AR-15-style rifle during the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. The wound was a superficial graze—described as a 2 cm (about 3/4-inch) laceration to the upper cartilaginous surface of his right ear—causing significant bleeding but no need for stitches or long-term damage. Trump was treated at Butler Memorial Hospital that night, released hours later, and his ear healed fully within weeks, with no visible scarring by September 2024.
The FBI’s Shooting Reconstruction Team confirmed this after examining bullet fragments and trajectory evidence. High-speed photos from New York Times photographer Doug Mills captured the bullet in flight near Trump’s head, aligning with the graze path. Trump’s former White House physician, Rep. Ronny Jackson, who monitored his recovery, stated the bullet “passed, coming less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear,” scooping out skin and fat but sparing deeper tissue. |
