Former U.S. President Donald Trump was struck by a bullet, not grazed by glass, at July 13 rally

Context

The assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump at a July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has sparked widespread speculation and fueled conspiracy theories. 

Six to eight rounds were fired during the incident, which resulted in one fatality and injuries to Trump and two other people at the rally. It is currently under investigation by the FBI as a deliberate attempt on the former president's life.

Some users on X and Threads have alleged that the shooting was staged, pointing to the lack of blood on Trump's hair or collar and claiming that his ear was only nicked by a piece of glass from a teleprompter. 

In a post (archived here), one user said, "It was reported that during a shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania, Donald Trump was struck by glass shards, not a bullet." Another user posted an image (archived here) of the bullets supposedly used by the assailant, stating, "He was hit by shards of glass from the teleprompter."

However, there is no evidence that the former president was grazed by glass rather than a bullet. Authorities say the event was a shooting and made no reference to glass shards hitting the former U.S. president.

What we found

The assertion that former President Trump's ear was grazed by glass rather than a bullet is based on the presence of two teleprompters positioned in front of him. However, there is no evidence to support the claim that Trump was struck by glass shards resulting from a bullet hitting the teleprompter.

In available footage of the incident, the teleprompters appear to be intact after the shot was fired in the direction of Donald Trump.

Photo taken immediately after the shooting (Source: Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Shortly after the attack, unfounded claims began to circulate. Alex Salvi, a correspondent for NewsMax, made a widely viewed claim. 

Screenshot of social media post claiming Donald Trump was hit by glass fragments (Source: X)

However, he later posted Donald Trump's message regarding the attack, stating that Trump "says he was hit by a bullet."

Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin."

The New York Times also published a photo that appears to show a bullet whizzing through the air close to Trump at the time of the shooting. A retired FBI special agent, Michael Harrigan, told the outlet: "Given the circumstances, if that's not showing the bullet's path through the air, I don't know what else it would be."

(Source: Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Law enforcement recovered an AR-15-type semiautomatic rifle from the attacker. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case as an attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump and potential domestic terrorism.  

The verdict

The claim that former President Donald Trump was struck by glass shards instead of a bullet is unsubstantiated. All available evidence, including Trump's statement and images from the scene, supports the fact a bullet struck him. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false. 

Follow Logically Facts' coverage and fact-checking of the U.S. Election 2024 here.