A photograph of former U.S. President Donald Trump from a 2022 rally in Ohio has been shared online. Captions falsely claim it was taken during the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC). They suggest it proves Trump did not suffer damage to his right ear in a recent assassination attempt.
On Monday, Trump wore a bandage over his right ear at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was his first public appearance since the July 13 attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania campaign event.
Social media posts on Monday shared a cropped, low-quality photograph. The caption read, “This image of Trump was taken today. There is absolutely nothing wrong with his ear, and it has zero damage from a bullet. Everything about Trump is a con or a grift.”
The image shared online is a cropped version of a photograph from a Sept. 17, 2022, rally in Ohio. It was credited to Reuters photographer Gaelen Morse. The unaltered picture shows Trump standing behind then-Senate candidate J.D. Vance as he spoke to the audience.
Trump on Monday announced Vance, a U.S. senator from Ohio, as his vice-presidential running mate for the Nov. 5 election. In selecting Vance, Trump passed over other rumored contenders. These included U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Tim Scott and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
VERDICT: Miscaptioned, per Reuters. A photograph of former U.S. President Donald Trump without an injury to his right ear dates to 2022. It was not taken after a July 2024 assassination attempt that injured his ear.