Donald Trump has appeared without a bandage on his ear for the first time since he was shot in an assassination attempt. His doctor has given an update on his recovery and dismissed doubts that he was hit by a bullet.
The shocking new footage shows that the 45th president’s right ear appears to have healed remarkably quickly less than two weeks after a gunman opened fire on him.
Thomas Crooks, a 20-year-old would-be assassin, fired eight rounds from an AR-15 rifle at the protest stage in Butler, Pennsylvania. One bullet went through the president’s ear.
His face was covered in blood as he was pulled off the stage in panic by the Secret Service, a major security lapse by the agency that was supposed to protect him.
The photos were taken as the former president welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida for a meeting.
The pair discussed the war in Gaza less than 24 hours after Netanyahu held talks with Kamala Harris at the White House and was “irritated” by her comments about a ceasefire.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. It is the first time Trump’s damaged ear has been seen in public.
During the meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Netanyahu and Trump discussed the former president’s Middle East peace deal, the Abraham Accords, Iran’s nuclear program and the fight against anti-Semitism in the US.
The unveiling of the ears came on the same day that Trump’s physician, Dr. Ronny Jackson, provided a critical update on the president’s recovery.
Dr. Ronny Jackson, also a Republican congressman from Texas, published a letter on Friday stating that there is “absolutely no evidence” that he was hit by “anything other than a bullet.”
“I want to assure the American people and the world that President Trump is doing exceptionally well,” Trump’s former chief White House physician added.
Jackson’s reassurance that the 45th president was hit by a bullet and not glass or shrapnel is a direct rejection of FBI Director Christopher Wray’s suggestion earlier this week that the agency is still investigating what caused Trump’s right ear to bleed.
Wray sparked a storm of protest Wednesday when he testified to lawmakers on Capitol Hill that there was still “some doubt” about whether the former president was hit by a bullet or shrapnel.
The FBI wants to question Donald Trump about his near-death experience when he survived an assassination attempt earlier this month.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for Trump, who was shot in the ear at the rally less than two weeks ago
The organization has yet to receive a victim impact statement from the former president as evidence is gathered to investigate the horrific event, an official said in a later statement seeking clarification about Wray’s comment.
Jackson, who has been closely monitoring Trump’s condition, added: “Since the attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the evening of July 13, I have been closely monitoring his health and well-being, along with his primary care physician.
“The would-be assassin fired multiple rounds from a high-powered rifle at relatively close range. One bullet struck the former president, and now Republican presidential candidate, in his right ear.”
And Trump, whose ear was photographed unbandaged for the first time Friday, has flatly denied the FBI’s questions about his wound, saying he was hit by “a bullet that hit my ear, and it hit me really hard.”
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
The meeting between the leaders took place at Trump’s home in Florida
The pair discussed the war in Gaza less than 24 hours after Netanyahu held talks with Kamala Harris at the White House and was “irritated” by her comments about a ceasefire agreement
A former White House physician has said Donald Trump is recovering “rapidly” from his assassination attempt and has responded to the FBI investigation by asking whether he was hit by a bullet or shrapnel
Trump posted on his Truth Social: ‘There was no glass, there was no shard. The hospital called it a ‘bullet wound to the ear,’ and that’s what it was. No wonder the once legendary FBI has lost the trust of America!’
The former president’s campaign also pushed back against the idea that Trump was hit by shrapnel and not a bullet.
“Anyone who believes this conspiracy theory is either mentally ill or is deliberately spreading lies for political reasons,” Trump campaign adviser Steven Cheung said. CNN.
During Wray’s sentencing hearing Wednesday, the director responded to questions about the “killer’s bullet” by saying, “I think it’s the bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear.”
Wray also testified that whatever hit Trump came very close to assassinating the 45th president.
Days after the shooting, Trump walked into the crowd at the Republican National Convention with a large white bandage over his injured ear.
Trump accepts the presidential nomination at the Fiserv Forum during the Republican National Convention
A large white bandage covered the former president’s right ear throughout the RNC
A composite image shows Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump with a bandage over his ear after being injured in an assassination attempt, and supporters and attendees wearing bandages over their ears in tribute to Trump during the Republican National Convention.
The cushion-like bandage quickly became popular among conference attendees.
After the first day, many wore their own version of the presidential uniform.
Trump was shot in the ear 13 days ago.