The FBI affirmed on Tuesday before Congress that former President Donald Trump was indeed struck by a bullet during the assassination attempt on July 13 in Pennsylvania. This clarification came after earlier doubts were raised by FBI Director Christopher Wray regarding whether the injury was caused by a bullet or shrapnel.
During a Congressional hearing, FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate confirmed that Trump was hit by a bullet fired from the shooter’s rifle. Abbate’s remarks were part of his opening statement as he offered condolences to the victims of the shooting, including the fatally injured firefighter Corey Comperatore and injured rally attendees James Copenhaver and David Dutch.
“Former President Trump was struck by a bullet fired from the shooter’s rifle,” Abbate stated. He emphasized that the FBI is treating the assassination attempt as an act of domestic terrorism.
This confirmation from Abbate comes in the wake of FBI Director Christopher Wray’s earlier testimony on Thursday, where he expressed uncertainty about whether it was a bullet or shrapnel that injured Trump. Wray’s comments sparked controversy and confusion.
In response to Wray’s initial suggestion, the FBI released a statement on Friday clarifying that it was indeed a bullet that hit Trump. “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 stated.
The Trump team reacted strongly to Wray’s initial remarks. “Anyone who believes this conspiracy bulls–t is either mentally deficient or willfully peddling falsehoods for political reasons,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung told The Post.
Trump was shot in the ear by 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks had positioned himself on a rooftop and fired into the crowd, narrowly missing Trump’s skull. The Secret Service responded quickly and fatally shot Crooks within seconds of the attack.
The FBI is continuing its investigation into the shooting and has not identified any additional co-conspirators. Abbate revealed that Crooks had registered for the rally on July 6 and had conducted online research about the distance from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot President John F. Kennedy.
The admission by the FBI has brought clarity to the situation, but the earlier confusion caused by Wray’s statements has fueled ongoing criticism and scrutiny of the agency’s handling of the case.
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