Old photo of Donald Trump shared to claim he did not sustain injury to his ear

What is the claim?

An old photograph of former U.S. President Donald Trump is circulating alongside the claim it was taken during the Republican National Convention (RNC) on July 15, 2024, showing no injuries to his right ear. Trump was shot on July 13, 2024, during an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear.

One X user posted the image, suggesting Trump had faked the injury. The caption read, "As we know, Trump is a lifelong scam artist. He said a bullet "pierced the upper part" of his ear, yet we haven't heard a thing from the medical team that treated him. Today, he showed up to the RNC Convention with his ear perfectly intact. This situation is a bit too convenient for Trump."

 Screenshots of similar claims (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

Another X user who posted a similar photograph has amassed over 2,000,000 views and over 37,000 likes. The photo is accompanied by a caption, "The top part of his ear grew back. (Yes. This is from today)". Similar posts were shared on Facebook as well, alleging that Trump had faked the injury. Archives of these posts can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

However, we found that the viral photo is a cropped version of an old photograph taken on September 17, 2022. Trump appeared at the 2024 RNC after the shooting with a bandage covering his right ear.

What does the viral photo show? 

The viral image is a cropped version of a photo taken by Gaelen Morse for Reuters in September 2022 in Youngstown, Ohio. The photo, which originally also featured then-U.S. Republican Senate candidate for Ohio, J.D. Vance, has been cropped to focus on Trump. Vance is now a Senator and has been announced as Trump's running mate in the 2024 Presidential election. Other news reports also carried the photo.

In the viral photo, the background behind Trump displays stripes of red and white, matching the U.S. flags seen in the original photo. Additionally, in both photos, a red stripe from the flag can be observed passing near the back of Trump's hair. The lighting and the expressions on Trump's face match the original photo. Trump can also be seen wearing the same red tie and blue jacket in both photos.

Screenshot of the viral and original photo. (Source: X/Reuters/Modified by Logically Facts)

What about Trump's injury?

In a post (archived here) on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote after the shooting incident that the bullet had "pierced the upper part" of his 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. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening," he added.

Reports on the Butler shooting noted that the former president sustained an injury on his right ear and was immediately escorted away by the U.S. Security Service agents. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. After the shooting, Trump was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for treatment for his injury; reportedly, the facility was placed under lockdown while Trump received medical attention.

According to reports about the shooting, reporters present at the scene heard numerous shots; further, several videos of the incident showed Trump touching his ear mid-speech as shots were heard and then crouching to the ground. Photos and videos of the shooting also caught one side of Trump's face covered in blood.

 Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is assisted by the Secret Service after gunfire rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 13, 2024. (Source: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

Speaking to NBC News, Paul Kosko, an amateur photographer present at the rally, said that the bullet took out a "little piece" of Trump's ear; he also captured close-up photos of Trump after he was shot.

Trump seen with bandaged ear

We also looked at visuals of Trump's recent public appearances after the shooting incident. On July 15, 2024, Trump appeared alongside his newly announced running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, on the first day of the RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Several media outlets reported on Trump's appearance at the event. In photos from this event, Trump can be seen with a large bandage on his right ear, which was injured during the shooting. 

Screenshot from recent Trump's appearance after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania (Source: Reuters/Modified by Logically Facts)

Additional photos of the first day of the RNC can be seen on the Reuters website. Trump also posted photos and videos of himself at the event (archived here and here), showing him with a bandaged ear.

Several social media users have also shared another photo of Trump to claim that the former president faked the injury and that there are no visible signs of his ear being injured after the Butler shooting. However, we found that this photo, which also features Vance, is old and is from an event held in Ohio in November 2022.

The verdict 

Social media posts claiming that there was no injury to former U.S. President Donald Trump's ear have used an old photo. At his recent appearance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trump can be seen in a large bandage covering his right ear.

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