Former White House Doctor Reveals Details of Trump Injury in Assassination Attempt

Former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, a bandage on his ear after being wounded in an assassination attempt, attends the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 15, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

A week after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, former White House physician and current Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) issued a statement providing details about the former president’s injuries sustained in the shooting.

A gunman opened fire during a July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, hitting former President Trump in the ear. Since then, little detailed information had emerged about the injury the former president suffered.

“As reported and witnessed by the entire world, he sustained a gunshot wound to the right ear from a high-powered rifle used by the would be assassin,” Dr. Jackson wrote in the July 20 statement, adding that he examined the former president the night he was shot.

“The bullet track produced a 2 cm wide wound that extended down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear,” Dr. Jackson wrote. “There was initially significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper ear.”

Dr. Jackson added that the swelling has since resolved and the wound is starting to “granulate and heal properly.”

The former White House doctor further noted that, because there are many blood vessels in the ear, there is still some bleeding from the wound from time to time, necessitating a dressing to be put in place.

“Given the broad and blunt nature of the wound itself, no sutures were required,” he wrote in the memorandum, which he addressed to the “concerned citizens of the United States.”

Dr. Jackson thanked the medical staff who initially treated former President Trump at Butler Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania, adding that the former president will have further evaluations, including a comprehensive hearing exam, as needed.

“In summary, former President Trump is doing well, and he is recovering as expected from the gunshot would sustained last Saturday afternoon,” Dr. Jackson wrote.

“It is an absolute miracle he wasn’t killed.”

Former President Trump, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) on July 18, spoke about the shooting.

Had not turned his head when the gunman opened fire, “the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark,” the former president said. “And I would not be here tonight,” he said.

The former president said that he heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit him “really, really hard” on his right ear.

“I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet,’” he said.

After the bullet hit, his hand instinctively went to his right ear.

“My hand was covered with blood. Just, absolutely, blood all over the place,” he said.

“I immediately knew it was very serious, that we were under attack, and in one movement proceeded to drop to the ground.”

Besides injuring former President Trump, the gunman critically wounded two men and killed one.

Janice Hisle contributed to this report.