A debate has begun on social media about the injury President Donald Trump sustained after an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024.
A trauma surgeon questioned the legitimacy of the wound on his ear, citing the neat wound, quick bleeding cessation, lack of sutures, and Trump's rapid recovery as evidence of potential staging or makeup.
Some argued that a real high-velocity 5.56 rifle round would cause severe tissue damage, inconsistent with the injury Trump sustained, while others defended the wound as a minor graze due to distance and angle.
A trauma surgeon wrote, “As a trauma surgeon who specializes in gunshot wounds, here’s my take on that viral “bullet to the ear” claim from the Butler rally: it’s fake.”
He added, “Real high-velocity rifle rounds like a 5.56 don’t just politely nick cartilage and call it a day. They tumble, cavitate, and shred tissue. A true graze that deep into the ear would’ve left a jagged, avulsed wound with clear entry beveling and tissue loss that doesn’t heal like a paper cut.”
Special effects makeup artist Taz Scheiber also weighed in, saying, “Blood and gore are my specialty. If it had grazed his ear it wouldn't look like this. This is far too clean. There is no bullet wound. There is no chunk of ear missing. This is what a blood capsule look like.”
