A photograph of Donald Trump’s right ear apparently intact just weeks after he was shot sparked a debate today.
The former president was photographed for the first time without a bandage on his injured ear since the July 13 shooting.
The photo showed the 78-year-old man’s right ear, which appeared to be completely intact and without any cuts, scabs or bruises.
Adding to the controversy, the FBI suggested that Trump may have been hit by shrapnel rather than a bullet, which may have the effect of downplaying the seriousness of the assassination attempt.
Now, a doctor has analyzed the photo and said it certainly doesn’t rule out that Trump’s ear was hit by a bullet.
PHOTO IN QUESTION: The image above is the first to be revealed of Donald Trump’s right ear since the assassination attempt.
California-based plastic surgeon Dr. Dennis Dass said there were two things at play.
First, the photo was grainy, enlarged, and Trump’s hair was partially in the middle, hiding any cuts, scabs or missing strands.
And secondly, he said it is possible that the bullet had only grazed his ear and therefore had not left a significant mark.
The ear is full of blood vessels, meaning it bleeds a lot from even the slightest injuries, which could have made the attack seem worse when it happened.
“It’s possible that your injury was small enough that it didn’t require much work,” Dr. Dass said.
‘It’s possible that he just cut himself a little and then bled a lot, that’s possible.
“Even if it was just a small cut, that would have been enough to explain the amount of blood we saw in the initial image.”
He added that it was important not to downplay Trump’s injuries, saying they were no less dramatic regardless of their cause.
“I think it’s really irrelevant whether the injury was caused by glass or a bullet,” he said.
“It’s a very unfortunate situation that he’s been through and it’s just horrible. I wish former President Trump all the best.”
It’s a remarkable turnaround for Trump, who was shot in the ear at a rally less than two weeks ago.
Dr. Dass said there were likely no visible marks because of the grainy image and the fact that the wound is likely already nearly healed.
UC Health says online that minor cuts can heal within a week, and that the shooting happened nearly two weeks ago.
Trump was at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, meeting with the Israeli prime minister when he revealed his right ear.
After the shooting, he was initially admitted to Butler County Hospital for treatment of a “gunshot wound to the right ear,” hospital records show.
His former White House physician, Ronny Jackson, who later examined Trump, said the bullet had left a 0.8-inch mark in the flesh of his right ear but the cartilage was unharmed.
The Republican candidate also suffered “significant bleeding” shortly after the attack, he said, as well as “marked swelling” above his ear.
In an update posted six days ago, he said the wound was healing well but the bandage still needed to be kept in place.
“Due to the highly vascular nature of the ear, there is still intermittent bleeding requiring bandaging,” he said.
‘Given the wide, blunt nature of the wound, no sutures were required.’
In an update posted today, he added that there was “no evidence” to suggest Trump’s wound was caused by anything other than a bullet.
Trump was photographed with a bandage over his ear at the Republican National Convention.
This prompted some attendees to copy him in solidarity with the former president.