Former MSNBC host Joy Reid has reignited controversy surrounding the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt against President Donald Trump, questioning the authenticity of his injuries during an appearance on fellow former MSNBC colleague Katie Phang’s YouTube channel on Tuesday, September 3, 2025.
Reid described Trump’s doctors as “magical” and suggested his ear wound mysteriously healed without proper documentation. She indicated that Trump had a bandage on his ear one moment and none the next, questioning how his ear appeared to have grown back. The former host of “The ReidOut” expressed frustration that no medical records from what she termed the “alleged assassination” have been made available to the public.
Phang joined the discussion by questioning the whereabouts of investigative records and making disparaging comments about Trump’s medical care. She suggested that Trump had applied what she called a maxi pad to his ear one day, only for the ear to appear completely fine the next day.
Reid revealed that during her time in mainstream media, she had previously raised questions about Trump’s medical records and faced consequences for doing so. She compared her knowledge of historical assassination attempts against former presidents Gerald Ford and William McKinley to the current situation, stating she knew more about those decades-old incidents than the recent attempt against Trump.
The comments represent a continuation of skepticism Reid first expressed on social media platform Threads just days after the Butler, Pennsylvania rally shooting. In her July 18, 2024, post, she had questioned whether Trump was struck by a bullet, glass, or shrapnel, and wondered why he was allowed to stand and pose for photographs while potentially additional shooters could have remained active.
During the July 2024 rally, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a rooftop approximately 157 yards from the stage. The gunman struck Trump’s ear, killed volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore, and seriously injured two other attendees. Secret Service snipers eliminated Crooks moments after he began shooting.
Trump’s former White House physician, Ronny Jackson, had issued a memo weeks after the shooting describing significant bleeding from a wound approximately two centimeters wide that caused marked swelling of Trump’s entire upper ear. Jackson indicated at the time that the wound was healing properly.
The assassination attempt led to intense scrutiny of the Secret Service over apparent security failures at the event. Then-director Kimberly Cheatle faced harsh bipartisan criticism during congressional hearings and resigned on July 23, 2024. Six Secret Service personnel were later suspended without pay.
A bipartisan House task force released a comprehensive report in December 2024 concluding that the Butler shooting was preventable and resulted from multiple institutional failures. The report stated that various breakdowns coalesced to create an environment exposing Trump and all attendees to grave danger, though no singular decision enabled the attack.
Reid’s recent appearance on Phang’s channel comes after MSNBC canceled “The ReidOut” in February 2025. The network terminated the show as part of broader programming changes, with staff members learning of the cancellation through media reports rather than internal communications.
Previously, Reid had drawn criticism for comparing Trump’s recovery from the assassination attempt to President Biden’s recovery from COVID-19, suggesting both were demonstrations of strength by elderly political figures. During MSNBC’s coverage of the Republican National Convention in July 2024, she had described Trump’s photo opportunity during the active shooter situation as unusual.
The former host also faced backlash for suggesting Trump bore some responsibility for the political violence that targeted him. She had argued that promoting political violence creates consequences that cannot be avoided, even for those encouraging such rhetoric.
Reid’s latest comments have generated renewed criticism from conservative media figures and Trump supporters, who view her statements as promoting unfounded conspiracy theories about a well-documented assassination attempt that resulted in one death and multiple injuries.
