The FBI released a statement seemingly course-correcting after Republicans and former President Donald Trump himself disagreed with part of FBI Director Christopher Wray’s testimony before Congress on Wednesday.
“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 statement read.
Wray testified about the investigation into the assassination attempt on Trump but created some confusion about what it was that struck the former president.
“I think with respect to former President Trump, there’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” Wray said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Wray earlier in the day to correct his statement that Trump may have actually been hit by shrapnel, not a bullet, at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“I believe it is very important for you to correct your testimony before Congress on Wednesday when you indicated it is uncertain whether President Donald J. Trump was hit by a bullet, glass, or shrapnel,” Graham wrote. “It is clear to everyone that President Trump survived an assassination attempt by millimeters, as the attempted assassin’s bullet ripped the upper part of his ear.”
“This was made clear in briefings my office received and should not be a point of contention. Therefore, I urge you to immediately correct your statement and acknowledge that President Trump was hit by a bullet rather than glass or shrapnel,” Graham continued. “As head of the FBI, you should not be creating confusion about such matters, as it further undercuts the agency’s credibility with millions of Americans. Please correct this statement immediately.”
Trump also voiced his disagreement with the director’s assessment, posting on Truth Social to confirm he had suffered a gunshot wound.
“No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard,” Trump wrote. “There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. The hospital called it a ‘bullet wound to the ear,’ and that is what it was.”
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The hospital that treated Trump had not released any medical reports, leaving the internet to speculate about what caused the injury.
However, a report by Trump’s former White House physician, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), who said he treated Trump’s wounds, and an analysis by the New York Times both support that Trump was hit by a bullet.