Donald Trump’s White House physician has provided an important update following the near-miss assassination attempt against the former president at a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday.
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson on Monday before the start of the Republican National Convention that Trump was suffering “no concussive effect” from the bullet that grazed his right ear.
Trump was formally nominated as the 2024 Republican presidential pick.
The assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire on former President Donald Trump using a .22 caliber AR-15-style rifle, according to the FBI. Crooks managed to graze Trump’s ear during the attack. The incident resulted in the death of one rally attendee and injuries to two others. Secret Service counter-snipers responded swiftly, fatally shooting Crooks shortly after he fired at Trump.
Trump was seen with a large bandage over his right ear when he appeared at the convention on Monday. Jackson said that he had examined the former president ahead of the event and that the bullet “just took the top of his ear off” when it sped past him.
“He was lucky,” Jackson said on “The Benny Show.” “I mean, it was far enough away from his head that there was no concussive effect from the bullet, and it just took the top of his ear off.”
The former White House physician, who also served in that role under President Barack Obama, told the host that the wound was still “bleeding like crazy” when he examined Trump on Monday morning. But he said Trump “will be OK” and that the injury should “granulate” and “heal in,” a reference to the process whereby new connective tissue forming on the wound’s surface will take place while it heals.
Johnson asked Jackson if Trump would have “a bite out of his ear for the rest of his life,” but the doctor said that the wound “is not going to be that noticeable” in the long term.
Jackson suggested in his conversation with Johnson that “divine intervention” may have played a part in preventing more severe injury to Trump during the assassination attempt. The former president himself has remarked that his life was saved because he turned his head at “the exact right time” to refer to a chart during his speech at the rally.
“He [Trump] realizes how close he came to that,” Jackson said. “And he realizes that if he hadn’t started making that movement where he turned his head, pulled back a little bit, and looked up, if he hadn’t done it at the exact millisecond that he started, that bullet would have entered his head.” The Texas Republican added: “I think there was divine intervention there.”
Trump arrived Monday evening for the first night of the Republican National Convention and appeared to get a little emotional as he was introduced as country artist Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA” as the crowd roared.
The former president appeared on the arena jumbotron, presenting a more somber appearance than his typically energetic self. He is scheduled to address the convention as the keynote speaker Thursday evening, the event’s last day.
Greenwood then introduced Trump before performing a live rendition of his famous song.
A visibly emotional Trump entered to chants of “USA” as he made his entrance. He stopped to shake hands with members of his family, as well as key allies such as Tucker Carlson and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), before taking his position next to his new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH).
“Prayer works. This nation, based on faith, prayer, works. Because he was sure, as Donald Trump turned his head just slightly, that the bullet missed him just enough to save his life to be the next President of the United States. We have believed for so long that God will make some changes in this country, and he’s about to make a change in the current administration and send them home,” Greenwood said.
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