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Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt FBI confirms

  • The FBI statement comes after ambiguous comments from Director Christopher Wray that cast doubt whether Trump had actually been hit by a bullet

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The FBI said former President Donald Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during an assassination attempt on July 13, as the agency moved to clarify what happened after nearly two weeks of confusion and conflicting accounts. Photo: AFP

Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed on Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.

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“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 agency said in a statement.

The statement from the FBI marked the most definitive law enforcement account of Trump’s injuries, and followed ambiguous comments earlier in the week from Director Christopher Wray that appeared to cast doubt on whether Trump had actually been hit by a bullet.

The comment drew fury from Trump and his allies and further stoked conspiracy theories that have flourished on both sides of the political aisle amid a dearth of information following the July 13 attack.

Up until now, federal law enforcement agents involved in the investigation, including the FBI and Secret Service, had repeatedly refused to provide information about what caused Trump’s injuries. Trump’s campaign has also declined to release medical records from the hospital where he was first treated or to make the doctors there available for questions.

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