FBI Wants To Interview Donald Trump Over His Shooting Injury: Report

The FBI wants to interview Donald Trump after he was injured during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally earlier this month, a report says.

An FBI official speaking anonymously told the New York Times that they have asked to interview the former president as part of their investigation into the incident.

"The bureau has asked to interview Mr. Trump as part of its broader investigation, hoping to provide insights into the shooting and possibly a more complete record of his injury, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the continuing inquiry," the NYT report says.

It comes after FBI Director Christopher Wray said that it was not clear whether Trump was injured by a bullet or hit by shrapnel when a gunman opened fire at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.

Donald Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents following the assassination attempt at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 2024. An FBI official has said the agency is examining metal fragments found near the... Donald Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents following the assassination attempt at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 2024. An FBI official has said the agency is examining metal fragments found near the stage to determine how Trump was injured, according to a report. More Gene J. Puskar/AP

The FBI official told the NYT that the agency was examining metal fragments found near the stage at the site of the rally.

The agency said in a statement Thursday that its shooting reconstruction team "continues to examine evidence from the scene, including bullet fragments, and the investigation remains ongoing."

Videos from the rally show Trump ducking after shots were fired before being quickly escorted off stage by Secret Service agents. The former president was then pictured with blood dripping from his right ear.

During his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, FBI Director Wray, a Trump appointee and Republican, expressed uncertainty about whether Trump was struck by a bullet or shrapnel.

When asked for comment, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung referred Newsweek to Trump's Truth Social post from Thursday.

Trump wrote: "FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress yesterday that he wasn't sure if I was hit by shrapnel, glass, or a bullet (the FBI never even checked!), but he was sure that Crooked Joe Biden was physically and cognitively 'uneventful' - Wrong!"

"No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard. There was no glass, there was no shrapnel. The hospital called it a "bullet wound to the ear," and that is what it was," Trump added.

Newsweek also reached out to the FBI via contact form on Friday outside of regular working hours.

Identifying what kind of projectile Trump was struck by is one part, but not the primary objective, of the FBI investigation, per the NYT report.

Michael Harrigan, a former FBI special agent who ran the bureau's firearms training unit in Quantico, Virginia, told the NYT: "The bureau's priority is finding whether anybody helped the shooter and eliminating any ongoing threat."

"From an investigative standpoint, knowing what happened to the president's ear doesn't really matter," he said.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire at the rally, killing one rally-goer and seriously injuring two others before being shot dead by the Secret Service.