Dr. Anthony Fauci downplayed the injuries suffered by former President Donald Trump during last weekend’s assassination attempt, describing a wound to his ear caused by a grazed bullet as “superficial.”
Fauci is the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who drew criticism for advising both Presidents Trump and Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asks Regarding President Trump’s injury.
Trump, 78, was hit in the ear by gunfire from would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks while speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday and fell to the ground. Trump emerged surrounded by Secret Service agents, blood flowing from his right ear, which he has had bandaged since then.
“I don’t think there’s anything more to it than that,” Fauci said Friday night. “So, from what we’ve seen and heard, the doctors who examined him say that the bullet grazed his ear, and there was no further damage.”
Fauci said he believes Trump is “fine” based on his doctor’s report and Trump’s behavior since then, including arriving at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee just two days later and delivering a record-breaking speech on Thursday.
“It looked like he just had a minor injury to his ear,” he said.
Despite Fauci’s assessment, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, said Friday that Trump may be suffering from “psychological trauma” following the shooting that left one rally attendee dead and two critically injured.
Gupta called for a “full public evaluation” of Trump’s injury and for voters to be informed of his condition, as the Trump campaign has not disclosed what treatment he received or how it plans to monitor his health in the coming weeks.
“The concern is that a bullet explosion near the head can cause injuries that may not be immediately noticeable, such as bleeding within or on the surface of the brain, damage to the inner ear and even psychological trauma,” Gupta explained.
Gupta, the trauma neurosurgeon, said a “thorough evaluation” after a gunshot wound would allow for a more accurate understanding of the physical and psychological injuries and speed up recovery.
“The good news is that most of the physical symptoms of the injury will probably have manifested over the last few days,” Gupta concluded.
“However, at this time, the Trump campaign has yet to disclose whether a full investigation was conducted at the time or whether there has been any follow-up since then.”
