US election live updates: FBI’s big update amid Donald Trump bullet spat
There’s been a furious row over whether or not Donald Trump was in fact wounded by a bullet. Now the FBI has sought to clear things up in a new statement.
The FBI has weighed in on speculation Donald Trump was not actually wounded by a bullet, despite the former president’s insistence he was.
It comes amid a furious row between Mr Trump and the head of the FBI, who suggested this week something other than a bullet may have struck him.
The FBI is seeking to interview Mr Trump over the assassination attempt on his life.
Elsewhere, Mr Trump has said a Kamala Harris presidency could lead to a “third world war”.
Meanwhile Ms Harris looks to have all but sewn up her bid to be the official Democratic presidential nomination now that Joe Biden has said he won’t stand for a second term.
Former US president Barack Obama and wife Michelle Obama have finally endorsed Ms Harris, saying she would make a “fantastic President”.
And JD Vance has defended his much derided “childless cat ladies” comment.
Follow our live coverage below
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by a bullet
There has been quite a bit of back-and-forth this week about whether or not Donald Trump was struck by a bullet during the assassination attempt two weeks ago.
Mr Trump has always insisted a bullet caused the injury to his ear. This week, FBI director Christopher Wray suggested it wasn’t clear whether Mr Trump was hit by a bullet, or merely shrapnel or glass.
In a new statement released on Saturday morning AEST, the FBI sought to clear up conflicting accounts.
“What struck former President Trump in the ear was a bullet, whether whole or fragmented into smaller pieces, fired from the deceased subject’s rifle,” the agency said in a statement.
Earlier, Mr Trump’s doctor said there was “absolutely no evidence that it was anything other than a bullet” that struck the former president.
“Director Wray is wrong and inappropriate to suggest anything else,” Dr Ronny Jackson, who is also a Republican Congressman from Texas, said.
The doctor also gave an update on Mr Trump’s recovery.
“I want to reassure the American people and the rest of the world, that President Trump is doing extremely well,” he said.
Mr Trump has now removed the bandage from his ear that sparked copycat bandages sported by his supporters.
“Just took off the last bandage off of my ear. I just got it off. I took it off for this group,” Mr Trump said at a summit in Florida on Friday night, local time.
Kamala Harris could start ‘third world war’
Donald Trump met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Florida Mar-a-Lago property on Friday, a day after Israel’s leader had meetings with President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris.
He told Mr Netanyahu the election of Ms Harris could lead to global war.
“If we win it’ll be very simple. It’s all going to work out very quickly,” he said.
“If we don’t we’re going to end up with major wars in the Middle East and maybe a third world war.
“You are closer to a third world war now than at any time since the Second World War because we have incompetent people running our country”.
Trump to return to site of assassination attempt
Donald Trump plans to return to Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was injured in an assassination attempt earlier this month.
Mr Trump said there will be a “big and beautiful” rally to honour firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died protecting his family during the shooting, and two other Trump fans who were injured.
“What a day it will be — fight, fight, fight!” Mr Trump posted on Truth Social. “Stay tuned for details.”
FBI wants to question Donald Trump
The Federal Bureau of Investigations is keen to sit down with Mr Trump as it seeks to understand exactly what happened at the Pennsylvania rally on July 13 where he was almost killed and one spectator was murdered.
According to Fox News, the FBI is seeking a victim impact statement from the former president, a routine step.
Nonetheless it comes as relations between the Trump camp and the FBI have frayed in recent days after it raised the possibility a bullet did not in fact hit Mr Trump.
On Wednesday, FBI director Christopher Wray told the House Judiciary Committee, in Washington, DC, that it was not clear precisely what caused the injury to Mr Trump.
“With respect to former president Trump, there’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” Mr Wray said in response to a question from committee chairman Jim Jordan.
Mr Trump has consistently said he was hit by a bullet that came within millimetres of penetrating his head and causing a potentially fatal wound.
But the FBI has been far less definite on what the object was and have said until all the evidence is examined there is a possibility it could be, for instance, a metal shard or piece of glass that ricocheted towards the Republican presidential candidate.
Trump campaign fury at FBI
The FBI has said that it “doesn’t really matter” if a bullet, or another object, hit Mr Trump. It was still an attempt on his life.
But Mr Trump’s team are heavily pushing back on suggestions that the wound could have been produced by anything other than a bullet.
“It’s shocking Christopher Wray doesn’t know what the facts are, but that probably says more about his job performance — or lack thereof — than anything else,” Trump campaign spokesman Steve Cheung said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said there was “frustration” with the “leadership” of federal agencies such as the FBI.
He said “multiple sources” have said a bullet hit Mr Trump.
Mr Trump also isn’t best pleased at the suggestion that maybe a stray bit of glass – albeit set loose by a bullet – caused the injury and not the assassin’s bullet itself.
“No wonder the once storeyed FBI has lost the confidence of America!” he fumed on social media.
“There was no glass, there was no shrapnel.
“No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard.
“The hospital called it a ‘bullet wound to the ear,’ and that is what it was”.
Mr Trump may be right that it was a bullet. Indeed there is a picture of what appears to be a bullet whizzing towards him. But it’s unlikely a doctor at a hospital is going to make the final decision on what caused his injury.
JD Vance defends derogatory comments against women
The Republican vice presidential nominee has defended widely derided comments from 2021 when he said the country was run by “childless cat ladies”.
He referred to Kamala Harris and transport secretary and possible VP pick Peter Buttigeig. It’s true that Ms Harris doesn’t have children of her own but she is stepmother to her husband Doug Emhoff’s kids. While Mr Buttigeig has two adopted kids.
Mr Vance said it was a “sarcastic comment” but didn’t row it back.
“I know the media wants to attack me and wants me to back down on this but the simple point that I made is having children, becoming father, becoming a mother, I really do think it changes your perspective in a pretty profound way,” he told Megyn Kelly.
He went on to say that he was “not about criticising” people “who for various reasons” are childless.
“This is about criticising the Democratic Party for becoming anti-family and anti-children”.
Obama makes huge move in US election
After days of speculation, Barack Obama has endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for US president.
The major move means the vice-president has now won the backing of all the party’s politically active high-profile figures.
The former president had noticeably withheld his endorsement in the immediate aftermath of Joe Biden’s call to step down from the race. It’s understood he wanted an open nominating contest at next month’s Democratic national convention in Chicago.
However, after Ms Harris earned the backing of the most senior Democrats, Mr Obama has followed suit.
The move will likely been seen as major win for Mrs Harris given Mr Obama’s popularity.
In a social media post, Mr Obama said Ms Harris would make “a fantastic President of the United States”.
“At this critical moment for our country, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November.”
The Obamas called Ms Harris in a call that was, super conveniently and not all staged for the cameras, filmed and then posted on social media by her campaign.
In the video, Ms Harris is seen listening to the Obamas on an iPhone in her right hand.
“I can’t have this phone call without saying to my girl Kamala: I am proud of you,” Michelle Obama says. “This is going to be historic”.
Barack Obama says: “We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office”.
Ms Harris replies: “Oh my goodness. Michelle, Barack, this means so much to me, I am looking forward to doing this with the two of you, Doug and I both. And getting out there, being on the road”.
She adds: “But most of all, I just wanna tell you that the words you have spoken and the friendship that you have given over all these years mean more than I can express.
“We’re gonna have some fun with this too, aren’t we?”
Moment alleged Trump shooter was caught
Police in the US have released footage of the moment Ryan Routh, who is accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump, was taken into custody.
Failed ‘assassin’ had Biden bumper sticker
Alleged would-be Trump assassin Ryan Wesley Routh had a Biden-Harris bumper sticker on a pickup truck at home.
Bizarre admission proof election is cooked
Donald Trump’s running mate has made a startling admission about the infamous “eating dogs” conspiracy that has thrown the US into chaos.