FBI now saying it was a bullet, or a fragment of one, that hit Trump's ear

Since the attempt on his life by shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, Donald Trump has maintained that his ear was injured by a bullet discharged by Crooks' weapon, which narrowly missed killing him. And now the FBI thinks so too.

Since the assassination attempt, up until this point, there was a great deal of back and forth as to whether a bullet indeed caused Trump's injuries, or if shrapnel had struck his ear, causing it to bleed and require the use of a bandage for quite some time.

On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray told representatives during a Congressional committee hearing that he did not conclusively rule out the possibility that Trump was hit by a bullet, but could not be sure. But in a statement that followed days later, the FBI concluded that yes, it was a bullet.

According to The New York Times, "After Speaker Mike Johnson questioned Mr. Wray’s comments on Thursday, the FBI said in a statement that it was examining bullet fragments, and law enforcement officials said the bureau was trying to determine whether it was a bullet or a piece of one."

“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 FBI said in a conclusive statement.

On Friday, The New York Times published an analysis that strongly suggested Trump was grazed by the first of the eight bullets fired by Crooks.