Donald Trump's ex-doctor revealed on Saturday that the Republican presidential nominee suffered a two-centimeter gunshot injury during the recent assassination attempt, though his ear is now recovering. The account from Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician turned Texas legislator with hardline right-wing views, provides one of the initial comprehensive descriptions of the damage Trump incurred when a gunman attacked a Pennsylvania rally a week prior, resulting in one death and two injuries.
Jackson detailed in a memo, which Trump shared on his Truth Social platform, that the bullet narrowly missed entering Trump's head by less than a quarter of an inch, instead hitting the top of his right ear. Jackson, who visited Trump in New Jersey shortly after the incident, has been treating the injury since. He described the wound as a 2cm-wide gash that reached the cartilage of the ear, initially causing substantial bleeding and significant swelling.
The swelling has since subsided, and the wound is now granulating and healing correctly, according to Jackson. Although some bleeding persists, necessitating a bandage, no stitches were needed due to the nature of the injury. Trump also underwent a CT scan at a Butler, Pennsylvania hospital while being treated for the wound.
Jackson, a retired Navy rear admiral, initially served in the White House medical unit under President George W. Bush before becoming President Obama's doctor in 2013. He became widely known in 2018 for his enthusiastic assessment of Trump's health, suggesting that better dietary habits might have extended his life expectancy to 200 years. Despite Trump's nomination of him to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Jackson withdrew his candidacy following accusations of improper drug distribution and workplace intoxication.
During his congressional campaign, Jackson aligned closely with Trump, supporting the claim that Obama had politicized government surveillance against Trump. He also diverged from mainstream health advice on COVID-19, advocating for personal choice in mask-wearing and questioning Biden's cognitive fitness for the presidency.
