Fact Check: Did retired detective Duane Lee Proctor claim Trump staged Butler assassination attempt?
BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA: Rumors are swirling once again around the July 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump, as a new online claim grabs attention in August 2025.
It alleges that retired police detective lieutenant Duane Lee Proctor weighed in with his expertise, suggesting Trump staged the event using a blood capsule to fake being shot.
This sensational claim adds fuel to a growing fire of conspiracy theories that have circulated since the July 13, 2024, shooting. Now, let's dig into the facts behind the incident and the latest viral claim accusing Trump of faking it all.
What is the viral claim about Trump's July 2024 assassination attempt?
Users on Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and other social media platforms began circulating a meme that showed Donald Trump with a bloodied ear.
The meme displayed blood streaming down his face and appearing in his hair above and behind his right ear. It attributed the claim to retired police detective lieutenant Duane Lee Proctor, who allegedly stated that Trump had used a blood capsule filled with fake blood to stage the shooting incident.
The meme quickly sparked online speculation, with many users questioning both the authenticity of the claim and whether Proctor actually existed.
The text read, "We all know it’s FAKE just like everything about him.” It added, “FYI...A Bullet moving Front to Rear would leave a blood blowback ... not blood on the Face. Notice there is 'NO BLOOD' in his Hair behind his ear!! He Was Not Shot at All!! This is a Blood Capsule Bobby given to him by his secretary of education, the owner of the WWE wrestling! -Duane Lee Proctor- Ret. Police Det. Lt. Head of Major Crimes."
Duane Lee Proctor did make a post about Trump's July 2024 assassination attempt
A Facebook profile listing the full name Duane Proctor and using the handle duane.proctor.90 appeared to be the source of the widely circulated claim. The account featured multiple posts signed with the phrase "Retired Police Detective Lieutenant," the same signature line that appeared along the meme.
The claim itself originated from a post Proctor published on August 11, which included a photo of Trump’s bloodied ear along with a caption nearly identical to the one in the widely shared meme. Most of the meme’s content directly matched Proctor’s original post, with the exception of one sentence that appeared only in the meme: "We all know it's FAKE just like everything about him."
Proctor had set the post’s privacy settings to Friends Only, which limited its visibility. For users who weren’t on his friends list, the post simply displayed the message: “This content isn't available right now. When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.”
By sharing this post and reviving these claims, Proctor appeared to reignite speculation that the July 2024 assassination attempt was staged, a claim that quickly fueled further misinformation online.
What happened to Trump during the July 2024 Butler rally?
On July 13, 2024, during a campaign rally, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple shots from a rooftop nearby. A striking photo by New York Times photographer Doug Mills captured a bullet passing close to Donald Trump’s head.
The FBI later confirmed that one of the shots grazed Trump's right ear. Secret Service agents quickly responded, surrounding Trump as he knelt. Images from the scene showed him with visible blood on his ear and cheek.
Several people in the crowd were hit, including 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, who was pronounced dead, and two others who sustained injuries. Within moments, Crooks was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
Before being escorted away, Trump stood briefly, raised his fist, and appeared to mouth the word “Fight” to supporters. He reappeared days later at the Republican National Convention with a bandage covering his ear.
Duane Lee Proctor's claims about Trump's assassination attempt are false
In his post, Duane Lee Proctor overlooked the fact that Donald Trump knelt face-down on the ground while Secret Service agents shielded him.
Photographer Anna Moneymaker captured close-up photos showing Trump looking down as blood dripped from his ear down his face. Proctor also falsely claimed that there was no blood in Trump’s hair, but the same photo used in the meme clearly shows blood near and above Trump’s ear.
The post and meme incorrectly stated that Education Secretary Linda McMahon owns World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
In reality, Linda co-founded WWE with her now-separated husband, Vince McMahon. She served as WWE’s president from 1993 to 2000 and as chief executive from 1997 to 2009 before resigning to pursue a political career, including two unsuccessful runs for the US Senate in Connecticut.
No credible evidence supports the claim that Trump used a blood capsule or staged the assassination attempt. Likewise, no proof exists that crane operators lowered a large American flag for Trump as part of a planned photo opportunity to accompany his raised-fist gesture while leaving the scene, despite rumors spreading online.
