Plastic Surgeon Walks Us Through Trump's Ear Injury One Year After Assassination Attempt

A year after a bullet tore past his ear during a rally shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump remains utterly defiant. The Republican presidential candidate was addressing a crowd during a campaign stop on July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Crooks shot him and missed, grazing instead the upper portion of Trump's right ear. Looking at photos of the divisive politician today, Dr. Frederick Weniger, a board-certified plastic surgeon, exclusively confirmed to Nicki Swift that his wound seems to have healed fully. "The skin looks smooth and there's no obvious sign of active redness or swelling to suggest healing problems," he pointed out. "There is some bumpiness at the back edge of the top of the ear (where the majority of the injury was), and there is also a slight depression in the front where the rim of the ear attaches to the side of the face."

Samuel Corum/Getty

Zooming in on the site more, the South Carolina-based surgeon noticed a slight distortion along the outer edge of Trump's ear, where he was shot. The area doesn't quite match the other side, likely due to tissue "being lost, repaired, or repositioned" during the healing process. The expert also observed a slight difference in the president's skin color and its texture on his wounded ear, suggesting the possibility of skin grafting or flap closure. 

However, he doesn't believe any reconstructive surgery was performed. Instead, the doctor reckons there's a good chance the president let his scar heal on its own. Some light makeup may have also been used to conceal or reduce the appearance of any scarring. "The final appearance is impressive considering the high-energy injury," Weniger stressed. "The outcome looks stable, and from a distance, most people wouldn't notice anything unusual."

Shortly after the shooting occurred, Donald Trump addressed the terrifying incident in a brief statement posted to Truth Social. Amid reactions to Donald's shocking assassination attempt, the former "Apprentice" host shared his side of the story, including describing the terrifying moment he realized he'd been hit by a bullet. "I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin," Donald wrote. "Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening." 

His doctor also painted a gruesome picture of his injury after the president attended the 2024 RNC wearing a small bandage on his ear. Speaking on "The Benny Show," Texas representative and former White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson claimed that the bullet tore off the top part of Donald's right ear, causing heavy bleeding. He also noted how close the president came to being shot had he not moved his head at exactly the right time. "That bullet would have entered his head," Jackson posited. "He would have been dead because of the high-caliber weapon. [...] I think there was divine intervention." 

Since the attack, six unnamed Secret Service agents were reportedly suspended without pay or benefits for failing to adequately protect the controversial candidate during the rally. In clips of his interview on Fox's "My View with Lara Trump," Donald said he was pleased with how the investigation into his attempted assassination has been handled. And yet, despite his near brush with death, his faith in federal officials has not changed. "I have great confidence in these people. I know the people, and they're very talented, very capable. But they had a bad day," Donald acknowledged. "I think they'll admit that — they had a rough day.