Former President Donald Trump is "rapidly recovering" after being shot during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, according to his former physician.
Fox News reported that the FBI confirmed that Trump was struck by a bullet, resolving conflicting reports about the nature of the projectile.
The incident occurred on July 13 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple rounds from a high-powered rifle. A bullet struck Trump in the right ear.
On Friday, former White House doctor Rep. Ronny Jackson released a letter stating that Trump is "rapidly recovering" and refuting any suggestion that the projectile could have been shrapnel or glass.
"I have continued to monitor his health and well-being, along with his primary care physician, since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the evening of July 13th," Jackson stated.
Jackson emphasized, "There is absolutely no evidence that it was anything other than a bullet. Congress should correct the record as confirmed by both the hospital and myself. Director Wray is wrong and inappropriate to suggest anything else."
FBI Director Christopher Wray had suggested the possibility that Trump might have been struck by shrapnel, introducing confusion into the official narrative of the shooting.
The FBI later clarified to Fox News Digital that Trump was indeed struck by a bullet. An FBI spokesperson confirmed, "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."
Jackson reiterated his stance in an interview with Fox Business, stating, "The would-be assassin fired multiple rounds from a relatively close distance using a high-powered rifle, with one bullet striking the former President, and now the Republican Nominee for President, in his right ear."
As a seasoned White House physician, Jackson underscored the broader implications: "I fully understand the global significance of this attempt on the life of the former President and the current Republican Nominee for President."
Jackson reassured the public about Trump's condition, stating, "He is rapidly recovering from the gunshot wound to his right ear. I will continue to be available to assist President Trump and his personal physician in any way they see fit and will provide updates as necessary and with the permission of President Trump."
He criticized Wray's implication that the injury might not have been caused by a bullet, calling it "absolutely ridiculous" and noting, "There was a track of a bullet."
"We don't have any confidence in the number one law enforcement agency in this country right now," Jackson stated, adding, "And if [Wray's] going to come make statements like that, he better have some evidence of what he's talking about. There was no fractured glass on the teleprompters or anything else."
The FBI is prioritizing the investigation into Crooks' motives. FBI Director Wray testified before Congress, detailing the investigation's progress.
An FBI spokesperson reiterated, "Since the day of the attack, the FBI has been consistent and clear that the shooting was an attempted assassination of former President Trump which resulted in his injury, as well as the death of a heroic father and the injuries of several other victims."
"The FBI's Shooting Reconstruction Team continues to examine evidence, including recovered bullet fragments, to understand more about the exact events of the shooting," the spokesperson added.
Jackson supported the creation of a bipartisan House task force to further investigate the assassination attempt, emphasizing its significance.
Additionally, Jackson urged Congress to set the record straight regarding the nature of the projectile that injured Trump, insisting it was a bullet.
He remarked, "It was absolutely a bullet, I examined it. There was a track of a bullet."
The incident has sparked widespread attention and concern, both domestically and internationally. The FBI continues to allocate resources to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Former President Trump's recovery from a gunshot wound at a Pennsylvania rally is progressing well, according to his former doctor Ronny Jackson.
Jackson has strongly disputed FBI Director Christopher Wray's suggestion that the projectile could have been shrapnel rather than a bullet.
The FBI confirmed it was indeed a bullet that struck Trump, and the agency is prioritizing the investigation into shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks' motives. The ongoing investigation aims to provide clarity on the attempted assassination and its wider impacts.
