Another day, another Donald Trump conspiracy theory. Some have claimed that Trump has a “body double,” while others have made strange assertions that Melania Trump has been replaced by one.
Online detectives have been looking at recent images of the president and contrasting them with earlier ones from before the well-known assassination attempt in which a bullet clipped his ear.
It comes days after Trump was seen with his ear appearing to be fully healed while sporting one of his signature red MAGA hats. In July of last year, as the Republican was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania, a shooter scaled the roof of an adjacent building and started shooting. One supporter sitting behind Trump was killed, and two more were badly injured.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was the shooter who used an AR-15-style rifle to target Trump. A US Secret Service agent who hurried to save Trump also shot and killed Crooks. Wannabe investigators have been searching the internet for ‘clues’ that things are not as they seem.
Before and after the incident, users on X have been sharing pictures of Trump’s ear. They say the ‘clue’ is the ‘evidence’ that the assassination attempt was ‘faked’ since they think photos reveal ‘no damage’ to the cartilage of Trump’s ear, where he was allegedly shot.
One person commented, “Ear cartilage generally does NOT regrow,” and included some before and after photos of the president’s ear. “Likely the biggest scam ever,” accused another. Some X users, however, defended the president.
Ear cartilage generally does NOT regrow. pic.twitter.com/CCSPqQrXUu
— Joe G (@EastEndJoe) June 30, 2025
“It does and the bullet graze barely broke the skin. But you knew that,” wrote one. A second insisted: “Y’all realise he’s a billionaire right? You don’t think the world’s best plastic surgeons can repair an ear?”
Another respondent stated that the allegations had been refuted. They penned: “I am not a Trump supporter. I am staunchly anti-Trump. However I’m also against ridiculous conspiracy theories. “The FBI which was under Biden’s control at the time confirmed there was an injury. Medical professionals during the time confirmed that repairing his ear would not be hard and could be made to look normal.”
Donald Trump left with bloodied face after assassination attempt while on stage during a rally. He appears to have been shot in the head! pic.twitter.com/UfgYJfTz0A
— J Stewart (@triffic_stuff_) July 13, 2024
The social media user added: “The ear is full of blood vessels… there is going to be a lot of blood. The streaks of blood on his face are not from the bullet/shrapnel… whichever hit him I don’t care… something did… but those streaks happened when he went to the ground because he had to tip his head downwards which caused the blood to fall onto his face.”
Regarding newer images, they maintained that a difference is visible: “You can see the fact that there is a gap in the helix of the ear as it curves down.” Meanwhile, another person wrote: “Reconstructive surgery with cartilage implants has been practiced for many years. A replacement ear can be grown in a lab today.
