No, photo does not show 'bullet hole' in Donald Trump's suit after assassination attempt

What's the claim?

An image of former U.S. President Donald Trump taken after the assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, in Pennsylvania has been shared online with the claim that it shows a hole in his suit. The claim is that it was left behind by a bullet that was aimed at his chest but was stopped by a bulletproof vest that he was wearing. 

In a post (archived here), a user of X, formerly Twitter, shared the image and wrote: "There is a bullet in the chest and fortunately he was wearing bulletproof vest. The terrorist left must end." The image includes a yellow circle drawn around the supposed bullet hole in Trump's blue suit. The post had received 102,100 views and 4,700 likes by the time this fact-check was written. Similar posts were shared on X and Threads. Archives can be found here and here.

Screenshots of the viral image shared online. (Source: X/Threads/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the claim is false. The image shows a fold in the sleeve of one of the security service agents shielding Trump. It is not a bullet hole.

Here are the facts

Through a reverse image search, we found the same image posted by the Associated Press in its report published on July 14, 2024, attributed to their photographer, Evan Vucci. We noticed that the supposed bullet hole is, in fact, a fold in the sleeve of a U.S. Secret Service agent’s blazer.

Screenshot of the AP image where the Security Service agent’s folded cloth is highlighted. (Source: AP News)

We found other images uploaded by the Associated Press on its website, captured by the same photographer, Evan Rucci, where Trump can be seen raising his hand after being shot at, but there is no bullet hole seen in these images; see here, here, and here (archived here, here and here). 

We also examined images taken from different angles, shared by Getty Images (archived here) and Reuters (archived here). No other images show any signs of this bullet hole on Trump’s suit. PBS News Hour (archived here) streamed a full video of Trump's Pennsylvania rally on July 13, 2024, but here, too, we could not locate this supposed hole in any other visuals. 

AP News has reported that Trump was shot at during his election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and the bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear. Trump's Campaign team shared Trump's statement (archived here) that his right ear was wounded in the Pennsylvania shooting. There are no reports or official announcements of Trump sustaining any bullet injury anywhere but on his ear.

The assassination attempt

Trump's election rally was held in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. During his speech, he was attacked by a shooter who was stationed on a roof about 150 yards away from the stage. Trump sustained an injury on his right ear and was immediately escorted by U.S. Security Service agents. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified the "subject involved" as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The FBI added that one person died. 

The verdict

A picture showing a fold on the sleeve of a U.S. security service agent's blazer while Trump was being escorted after an assassination bid has been misinterpreted to be a bullet hole in Trump's suit. Therefore, we mark this claim as false. 

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