A photo of Donald Trump in the White House has caught the eye of some eagle-eyed social media users, sparking a conspiracy theory online.
In case you need a reminder, Trump was dramatically shot during a presidential campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024 while campaigning against Democrat Kamala Harris.
During Trump’s speech, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle from a nearby rooftop, firing eight rounds.
One bullet struck Trump in his right ear, while two other bullets critically injured two audience members, and a third tragically killed a man at the scene.
Crooks was swiftly shot and killed by a member of the U.S. Secret Service moments later.
In the weeks that followed, Trump wore a white bandage on his ear, and some of his supporters followed suit in solidarity amid his presidential campaign.
Apart from the ear injury, Trump was otherwise unharmed and has made a full recovery from the incident.
But that hasn’t stopped conspiracy theories from circling online.
A recent photo posted by the White House, taken on Saturday, June 21, has fueled these theories once again. The side-profile photo showed Trump wearing a MAGA hat, with a clear view of his right ear.
And it seems as though some people are questioning how his ear now appears to show no signs of injury.
One X user wrote: “Isn’t this the ear that apparently took a bullet?”
Another joked: “Trump should forget the Nobel peace prize and go for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for naturally regrowing an ear. It’s never been done before.”
One X user also tweeted: “That photo from the situation room just shows the miraculous healing to Trump’s ear.”
Ever since the assassination attempt, conspiracy theorists have questioned whether the moment could have been staged.
Others, however, have pushed back against the conspiracy theories, highlighting the chaos of the outdoor shooting and the presence of numerous witnesses.
“How exactly was it faked in an outdoor setting with 1000’s of witnesses and dozens of cameras. One of those cameras picked up the bullet in mid air,” one person wrote.
The FBI also previously confirmed that Trump did indeed suffer a wound to his ear, saying in a statement: “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.”
Additionally, just a week after the shooting, Trump shared a signed letter from former White House physician and Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson, who confirmed Trump’s injury was from a gunshot wound.
Jackson stated Trump had a 2 cm-wide gunshot wound in the right ear from a high-powered rifle, noting “initially significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper ear.” He wrote, per TIME: “The swelling has since resolved, and the wound is beginning to granulate and heal properly. Based on the highly vascular nature of the ear, there is still intermittent bleeding requiring a dressing to be in place. Given the broad and blunt nature of the wound itself, no sutures were required.”
Trump initially received treatment at Butler Memorial Hospital, undergoing CT scan.
Jackson criticized FBI Director Christopher Wray’s suggestion that the injury may have been caused by shrapnel, calling it “absolutely irresponsible” and posting on X: “IT WAS A BULLET — I’VE SEEN THE WOUND! PATHETIC!!!”
Trump himself has addressed the lasting impact of the attempt on his life, describing it as a constant reminder of the risks that come with the presidency.
“I get that throbbing feeling every once in a while,” Trump told reporters on June 27 while discussing threats to his life, per USA Today.
“I still have that throbbing feeling in my ear,” Trump previously said at a rally shortly before his inauguration.
He also mentioned “a little throbbing feeling” during a Fox News interview last month that touched on investigations into two other foiled assassination attempts in 2024.
During a discussion on foreign policy, Trump referenced the risks he faces as president, saying: “This is a dangerous business. What I do is a dangerous business.”
