A CNN panel discussion erupted into chaos Thursday night, July 17, after podcast host Touré questioned whether President Donald Trump was actually shot during the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. The contentious exchange on “NewsNight with Abby Phillip” occurred during a broader discussion about presidential health transparency.
The controversy began when former Harris campaign spokesperson Adrienne Elrod criticized the White House for not being forthcoming about Trump’s health following recent reports about the president’s bruised hands. The discussion escalated when Touré interjected with remarks about the Butler rally incident.
Touré suggested that Trump “supposedly got shot in the ear” and claimed that the public never heard from his doctors about the incident. The statement immediately triggered outrage from CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings, who demanded host Abby Phillip intervene to correct the record.
Jennings waved his hands and demanded clarification, asking if Touré had actually said “supposedly.” Conservative commentator Ben Ferguson joined the objections, expressing disbelief at the suggestion. The panel descended into crosstalk as multiple participants attempted to speak simultaneously.
Phillip attempted to restore order, telling the panelists that if they stopped screaming at the table, she could respond. She ultimately corrected Touré’s statement, affirming that Trump was indeed shot in the ear during the Butler rally.
When pressed further about whether Trump was actually shot, Touré backtracked from his initial statement. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know,” he responded, adding that he would like to hear from Trump’s doctors about the incident.
Jennings countered by referencing his attendance at the Republican National Convention, where he observed Trump wearing a bandage on his ear. He questioned where the blood on Trump’s face during the incident would have originated if not from a gunshot wound.
The assassination attempt occurred on July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The would-be assassin was killed by law enforcement at the scene. Fire Captain Corey Comperatore was fatally shot when he shielded family members from the gunfire.
Days after the shooting, Representative Ronny Jackson of Texas, who previously served as Trump’s White House physician, released a medical assessment of the president’s injuries. Jackson confirmed that Trump sustained a gunshot wound to his ear, describing it as striking the top of his right ear and coming within less than a quarter of an inch of entering his head.
Jackson’s medical report detailed that the injury initially caused significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper ear. The physician stated there was absolutely no evidence that Trump was hit with anything other than a bullet.
The debate arose following White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s recent statement addressing Trump’s bruised hands, which she attributed to minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.
Elrod had also raised concerns about Trump’s recent memory lapses, including his apparent confusion about appointing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom Trump actually selected for the position in 2017 but recently claimed was appointed by former President Joe Biden.
Phillip eventually redirected the conversation away from the Butler incident, noting that the White House had released information about Trump’s hand condition because photographs of the swelling had become public.
The incident represents one of several controversial moments involving Touré on CNN panels, where his statements have generated significant pushback from other panelists and viewers. The former MSNBC host has appeared regularly on CNN programs as a liberal commentator and cultural critic.
