Did Donald Trump appear in early September 2024 with a bandage on his ear on Fox News -- more than seven weeks after his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt? No, that's not true: The picture of Trump on X with a bandage on his ear was from an interview only 11 days after the shooting. Trump appeared in an interview with Fox host Mark Levin on September 1, 2024, and his ear was not bandaged.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X on September 2, 2024, by @JBThinkin. It was captioned:
Ok!! CAN'T let this one just pass. Are you F'N SERIOUS. trump shows up today on Fox with a BANDAGE on his ear! And the FIRST thing that comes to mind is 'that little fu*cker is taking SO much heat for there being NO scratch whatsoever, he's back to hiding his ear'. He's not only STUPID, he's a complete FAKE, PHONY, CON-MAN!! ***STAGED***
This is how the post appeared at the time of writing:
(Source: X screenshot taken on Tue Sep 03 21:48:26 2024 UTC)
The screenshot in the post on X (pictured above) is from a July 24, 2024, Fox News interview on "Jesse Watters Primetime." Former President Trump and running mate JD Vance were seated together; Trump had a tan-colored bandage on his right ear, which was facing the camera. In the clip on X, Vance's shoulder is cropped away. The moment captured in the screenshot appears at the 1:23-minute mark (pictured below) in the YouTube video posted on the Fox News channel. Vance's shoulder is visible and the chyron, "Trump's plan to destroy drug cartels," matches the clip on X.
(Source: YouTube screenshot taken on Tue Sep 03 21:48:26 2024 UTC)
On September 1, 2024, Trump was interviewed by Mark Levin for the "Life, Liberty & Levin" Fox News program. A YouTube screenshot from the episode (pictured below) shows that Trump's right ear was not bandaged.
Trump wore a dark blue suit, red tie and an American flag lapel pin in both interviews, but the background sets were not the same and Vance was not present at the Levin interview.
(Source: YouTube screenshot taken on Tue Sep 03 22:50:21 2024 UTC)
Additional Lead Stories fact checks on claims related to the bandage on Trump's ear can be found here. Other Lead Stories fact checks on the 2024 election can be found here.
