Dr. Anthony Fauci downplayed former President Donald Trump’s injuries during last weekend’s assassination attempt, calling the ear wound he received when he was grazed by a bullet “superficial.”
Fauci, the embattled former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who advised both Trump and President Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic, was asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer about Trump’s injuries.
Trump, 78, dove to the ground after gunfire from would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks erupted and nicked his ear as he spoke at a Pennsylvania campaign rally on Saturday. Trump emerged surrounded by Secret Service agents with blood gushing from his right ear and has since worn a bandage over it.
“I don’t think there is much more to it,” Fauci said on Friday night. “I mean, from what we’ve seen and what we’ve heard, it was a bullet shot that grazed his ear and injured his ear, according to the physicians who examined him. There was no other further damage.”
Fauci said he thinks Trump is “in the clear” based on his physician’s report and seeing Trump’s actions since, including arriving at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee just two days later and delivering a record-breaking speech Thursday.
“It seems to have been a superficial wound to the ear, and that’s all,” he said.
Despite Fauci’s assessment, CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta earlier Friday said Trump may be dealing with “psychological trauma” after the shooting that left one rallygoer dead and two others seriously hurt.
Gupta called for a “full public assessment” of Trump’s injuries to let voters know his condition, as the former president’s campaign has not revealed what kind of medical treatment he has received and has not disclosed how they plan to monitor his health in the coming weeks.
“The concern is that gunshot blasts near the head can cause injuries that aren’t immediately noticeable, such as bleeding in or on the brain, damage to the inner ear, or even psychological trauma,” Gupta explained.
Gupta, a trauma neurosurgeon, said a “thorough evaluation” after a gunshot wound can offer a better picture of the physical and mental injuries and help with a quicker recovery.
“The good news is that most physical symptoms of an injury would probably have revealed themselves over the past few days,” Gupta concluded.
“At this point, however, the Trump campaign hasn’t yet shared whether a full workup was done at the time or if there has been any follow-up since.”