FBI Requesting Interview With Trump
Today, we’re unraveling the intense developments following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The FBI is now seeking to interview Trump as part of their investigation into whether he was struck by a bullet or shrapnel during the attack at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, earlier this month.
The dramatic incident took place on July 13, when 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire at the rally. His AR-15 rifle sprayed eight rounds towards the crowd, resulting in the death of one rallygoer, injuries to two others, and an injury to Trump’s ear. Despite the passage of two weeks, crucial questions remain unanswered about the nature of the injury sustained by the former president.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed uncertainty regarding whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel. “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 stated.
In response to these doubts, FBI investigators have requested an interview with Trump to determine the exact cause of his injury. The FBI’s shooting reconstruction team continues to analyze evidence from the scene, including bullet fragments, as the investigation presses forward.
The uncertainty has sparked fierce backlash from Trump, his former White House doctor, and other Republicans. On Truth Social, Trump vehemently asserted, “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.”
Trump accused Director Wray of undermining his credibility and focusing on partisan issues rather than addressing the real threats facing the nation. “That’s why he knows nothing about the terrorists and other criminals pouring into our Country at record levels,” Trump wrote, criticizing Wray’s priorities.
Former White House physician and now Republican lawmaker, Ronny Jackson, who examined Trump’s wound, corroborated Trump’s account, asserting it was “absolutely a bullet” that caused the injury. Jackson lambasted Wray’s skepticism as politically motivated, aimed at thwarting Trump’s potential return to the White House. “Christopher Wray was COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE and OUT OF LINE to question if President Trump was hit by a bullet,” Jackson declared on X.
Jackson detailed that Trump’s wound, a 2cm-wide injury, exhibited all the hallmarks of a bullet wound from a high-powered rifle, a claim he has previously documented in a memo shared with Axios.
This controversy comes amid mounting pressure on law enforcement to account for what has been deemed a significant security failure. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted to “the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades” during her testimony before the House, a lapse that led to her resignation.
In response, the House has established a bipartisan task force to investigate the incident, leveraging its full authority, including subpoena power. Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced the task force, emphasizing its commitment to uncovering the truth and preventing such security lapses in the future.