Old photo used to push baseless Trump shooting claim
feed_watermarkJuly 17, 2024
Donald Trump's ear is at the centre of a conspiracy about the attempt on his life. Image by AP PHOTO
AAP FACTCHECK - A photo of Donald Trump taken in the days after he survived an attempted assassination shows he suffered no injury to his ear, Facebook posts claim.
This is false. The photo in question was taken in 2022.
The former US president was pictured wearing a bandage on his right ear at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024, three days after a gunman opened fire on Trump while he was giving a speech at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Social media posts falsely claim a 2022 photo of Donald Trump was taken this week.
Photos after the shooting showed Trump with blood on his ear. He also said that a bullet pierced his upper right ear in a statement on his social media platform, Truth Social.
However, some social media posts feature an image of Trump with a seemingly undamaged ear.
"The top part of his ear grew back. (Yes. This is from today)," one Facebook post says.Other Facebook posts have used the image to push the baseless conspiracy theory that the attack was staged.
However, a Google Reverse Image Search reveals that the photo of the former president being shared in the posts is not recent.
It is a photo of Trump taken at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on September 17, 2022.
Every AAP FactCheck article is the result of a meticulous process involving numerous experienced journalists and producers. Our articles are thoroughly researched, carefully crafted and rigorously scrutinised to ensure the highest standard of accuracy and objectivity in every piece.
