Donald Trump referred back to the July 2024 attempt on his life in a recent interview, revealing what he thought in the immediate aftermath.
The 79-year-old president was speaking in Butler, Penn. on July 13, 2024 when a shooter identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire. In a post that evening on Truth Social, Trump confirmed that he had been shot in the ear.
Photos from the incident showed him standing on the podium with blood dripping down his face. Three attendees were hit by gunfire, one fatally. Others sustained injuries, and Crooks died on the scene after being shot by a Secret Service member.
In a new interview released by the White House, Trump reflected on the incident. He shared a question he had about his injury and how he knew he’d been struck by a bullet in the moment.
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Speaking to Jake Paul in a video shared on X on Friday (March 13), Trump said that he felt a “throbbing feeling” on his ear, which is how he knew something wasn’t right.
“You knew something was there. It was a bloody mess,” he said, later adding, “I said that’s either the biggest mosquito bite in history or I was just shot.”
The president was concerned about the amount of blood, recalling that he put his hand to his ear and it was “loaded up” with blood.
“I said, ‘Why is there so much blood?’ And the ear is a big bleeder because of cartilage or something,” he explained.
While Trump said that he had been shot, FBI director Christopher Wray said that there was “some question” about if he’d actually been struck by a bullet or by shrapnel.
