AP photo of his ear, without the bandaid. No visible damage.

[onecaliberal]

[BittyJenkins]

1. Pete Souza is great!

I can’t believe they suspended him for showing an ear. It is wrong.

[onecaliberal]

3. Where is the bullet damage?

He had on a bandaid yesterday.

[Brenda]

17. Why are there people on DU adamantly defending the Trump took a bullet hoax?

The FBI report is just weird limiting it to bullet or bullet shrapnel instead of plastic, wood, other metal shrapnel from the bullet hitting something else before the shrapnel hit Chump.

What DID the bullet hit, FBI, IF it was bullet fragment? Bullets don't just fall apart.

I don't see any wound or aftermath of even a bump from something much less a cut. Bruising lasts a long time on old body parts.

[MFM008]

39. Right

I still have bruises from taking blood thinner shots after my surgery and they ran out a month ago. I'm 65.

[iluvtennis]

70. And me still having shin bruises from doing a hard bump into heavy dining table leg. n/t

[Orrex]

96. I'm curious how the FBI could draw such a definitive conclusion

They apparently haven't recovered the projectile, and it also seems apparent that Trump hasn't released any medical assessment of his "bullet" wound, so how can the FBI say with confidence that a bullet caused it.

[riversedge]

42. actually, Trump only wore the bandaid mon and tue-maybe wednesday.

[Rebl2]

25. Ridiculous

X would suspend him.

[allegorical oracle]

45. It's not exactly a close-up photo of the ear. But if Pete's wondering about the

wound, I'll accept his judgement.

Never did think the wound was a big thing -- there wasn't that much bleeding. Head wounds of any sort usually bleed like crazy. Especially with ears. Blood vessels are very near the surface in the ears of all mammals because they serve as a bodily cooling mechanism. If you wonder whether your dog or cat has a fever, feel their ears.

[brewens]

59. If it had been a seious wound we'd have seen a bandage any nurse could verify was professionally applied

instead of that stupid gauze pad. Usually, the bandage is around the head to hold gauze in place for a serious ear wound.

He had what most likely could have been covered by a band-aid. If he had a growth removed there, he probably would have worn a flesh-colored bandage we couldn't even see.

[allegorical oracle]

73. It could likely have been an ice compress to stop bleeding. Photos taken immediately

after the injury don't display heavy bleeding. A trickle has come from the outer ear area and a second trickle appears from perhaps behind the ear, dripping from gravity. When he was pushed face-down by the SService, the blood dripped towards the front of his face and lips. It seems to be a minor grazing wound.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

94. Agree 100%! That blindingly white, perfectly

rectangular, stiff, non-contouring gauze pad was so obviously unnecessary & attention seeking. Another example of how his cult cannot see the blatant dishonestly that is the essence of Trump.

[Skittles]

2. can't have people wondering why he needed a big-ass bandage

no INDEED

[Wingus Dingus]

4. Must have been a teeny nick.

[Dave Bowman]

10. "teeny nick"

Oops, at first I misread one of these two words.

[Attilatheblond]

62. Are there bands, tapes, or clips to pull skin up and back to make face look younger?

Maybe he was injured by a vanity device that busted loose when the Secret Service knocked him down? Just... you know... sorta wondering

Perhaps a member of his detail has a rough ring or watch band? It couldn't have been much of a scratch cuz someone enlarge the photo and there was NO sign of even a scab.

[allegorical oracle]

83. That too... nt

[CentralMass]

46. And a tiny prick.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

57. TFG is a big prick.

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

75. This thread made me think of this song

?feature=shared

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

90. I thought this was current, but it's at least six years old.

Will this asshole ever die? I'd piss on his grave, but I hate to stand in lines.

[central scrutinizer]

5. A real tough guy

Would have given a drunken Ronny Jackson a rusty scalpel, bit down on a rawhide chew toy, and said, “make me into a martyr.”

[Pinback]

6. "Proof of Our Heavenly Father's divine healing powers!1!!"

Just a week ago that was the most hurt ear you’ve ever seen! (Soon to come from the MAGAloons if it’s not out there already.)

[livetohike]

7. Where's our pack of rabid press jackals? This

would make an interesting front page story. Why aren’t they shouting at him for answers?

[senseandsensibility]

29. They don't do journalism when it comes to cheato

They've made that very clear.

[alterfurz]

8. reportage on Trump's harrowing Ear-Death Experience...

Last edited Sun Jul 28, 2024, 08:28 AM - Edit history (1)

...from The Onion, America's Finest News Source: "Passersby were amazed at the unusually large amounts of blood..."

[Dave Bowman]

9. No wonder he threatened people into shuting up about his "wound".

[onecaliberal]

11. Or lack there of.

[Dave Bowman]

53. Yep.

[Orrex]

12. A week is plenty of time to grow back skin and cartilage

[MFM008]

40. There would

Be bruising. Old people bruise and it lasts forever. I'm still bruised from surgery 2 months ago.

[Jilly_in_VA]

44. Exactly

I get massive bruises from just banging my arms and legs on things at the shelter! Of course I'm on Plavix and baby aspirin, but even before that I did. So spare us the histrionics, Donny!

[Orrex]

95. Well obviously you're not an oaken stalwart like the ubermensch Trump

As soon as the pics were released, it seemed obvious to me that either he didn't actually know that he was in danger, or that he knew that he wasn't actually in danger.

Whatever else can be said about the man, he is a coward through and through. He is not the type to fight his way above his contingent of Secret Service agents in order to issue a brave rallying cry.

[MerryBlooms]

89. 3d printer maybe, but not geriatric folks. 😂

[Unbitten]

13. Not that he wouldn't lie about it, but

Turns out the photo is from 2022.

[Lucid Dreamer]

20. Welcome to DU, Unbitten. /nt

[Unbitten]

34. Thank you!

Thanks! I’ve read the site forever, but never got a profile. I’m glad I finally did!

[Scrivener7]

50. Do you have a source for that?

[Farmer-Rick]

14. He could just release his medical records

Then a lot of this conjecture would disappear.

My theory, he was on blood thinners, and his ear was slightly grazed, it would account for a lot of blood.

It's only been 2 weeks and it looks like it's all healed up. My daughters very sterile ear piercing took much longer to heal.....weird.

[Brenda]

24. And it would still be bruised.

As I've gotten older I notice bruises (from bumping into a cabinet or some such, NOT being hit by a bullet) happen easier and last longer. And I am much younger than Chump.

If anything it brings into question what the big fucking white bandage was for? So everyone would imagine he had half his ear blown away? Still gushing blood days later? Or maybe a prop just in time for his convention? Ahhh the sympathy vote, how heroic.

[Clouds Passing]

15. He's perfect

[JoseBalow]

60. That boy good!

[twodogsbarking]

16. A ketchup packet exploded on him.

[BoRaGard]

18. X is a republican shithole

avoid at all costs.

Musk has his nose up The Felon's butt.

[NoMoreRepugs]

19. Still wondering why his shoes were off at that podium after being nicked.

[Farmer-Rick]

30. Yeah, he kept saying

Let me get my shoes. How did they come off? Was he in stocking feet at the podium? Why didn't the media report on that?

Let Kamala or Biden take their shoes off and it would be front page news at the NYT with them questioning their fitness for the presidency

[Skittles]

37. shoes with lifts are easily discarded with abrupt movement

that's why he asked for their immediate return - can't have people seeing the LIFTS

[JoseBalow]

52. That makes the most sense to me

[Skittles]

77. his vanity triumphs even at an assassination attempt

his narcissism is off the charts

[dchill]

21. I saw a pic yesterday that showed Bibi looking at it...

...and I saw no damage.

[NonPC]

22. Link to AP Photo?

I looked for the photo in question, and AP says the online conspiracy theory is using a photo of Trump from 2 years ago. Did they pull the photo?

[Rob H.]

66. It's also on Voice of America's website

here. The caption reads, “Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump boards his plane at Palm Beach International Airport on July 27, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is headed to appearances Tennessee and Minnesota.”

This is the photo VOA used, snd it’s the same shot:

[Easterncedar]

23. He heals faster than anyone on earth! Fact!

Doctors, big men, big doctors are always coming up to him with tears in their eyes saying “Sir, how do you do it?”

[2naSalit]

33. Ha!

[surfered]

26. Why did FBI Director Christopher Wray testify it was unclear if it was a bullet or shrapnel

Then after Trump associates called for him to resign, the FBI issues a press release saying it was a bullet?

Why is this so damn important to them?

[Skittles]

28. these are questions the press should be asking

why won't they?

[onenote]

65. The FBI issued a statement that it was the bullet or a bullet fragment.

A bullet fragment is "shrapnel" according to the Oxford English Dictionary?

I get why repubs are claiming the FBI changed its position, but I don't get why so many here are agreeing with the repubs.

[rubbersole]

27. He needs to worry about an infection...

..from bronzer and AquaNet.

[Mr. Scorpio]

31. If an AR round nicked his ear there would have been catastrophic damage

Probably would have taken off half his face. He was never struck by a round.

[SlimJimmy]

35. At 3,600 FPS, it could easily "nick" his ear and leave very little damage.

Please get your facts straight before putting out information that could be shared and help to spread conspiracy theories. DU is better than that.

[sarisataka]

47. It is a little known fact why the military uses the M16 rather than the AR-15

AKA the "Obliterator". It is because of the Geneva Conventions. The weapon is too powerful to be used on the battlefield.

Rounds fired from an AR-15 can cause disfiguring injuries even with a near miss. There have been reports from hunters of animals being nearly completely disintegrated when hit by rounds fired from them.

[tusk]

54. Sarcasm?

The M-16 and AR-15 fire the same rounds (5.56/.223). Terminal ballisitcs are identical (given comparable setup).

Additionally, this round is arguably the least powerful among medium game projectiles.

[sarisataka]

61. Sarcasm?

A dump truck full.

I have twenty years experience with the M-16 and have seen first hand what it can (and can't) do. Since I have retired the .223 is my preferred varmint round fired out of a Ruger Mark II bolt action. Good for prairie dogs to coyotes.

[tusk]

63. same here, buddy,,,,

I love shooting .223...

I mostly shot turtles or beavers, but have taken a few deer with my Mossberg MVP Scout...

[liberalla]

93. Are turtles a big threat where you live?

[calimary]

69. Welcome to DU, tusk.

I know next to nothing about guns of any sort, so I can't add any more to this discussion.

[DiamondShark]

64. As I recall from our local Game Warden...

5.56/.223 are not acceptable for deer hunting, but .300BLK and 7.62 are fine for deer but not elk.

[tusk]

68. some states allow 22 caliber (CF) for deer...

AL & MS are 2 of them...

[sarisataka]

71. That is the regulation in several states still

The smallest rifle, I have for deer is a .243. But I have yet to actually fire it at a deer, I get lazy about having to dress it out and end up taking a picture.

[SlimJimmy]

98. Are you being serious?

The only difference between the AR and the 16 is the method of fire. Other than that, they a nearly the same. Typically though, the AR uses .223 as a round.

[stopdiggin]

56. that simply isn't true

a 'round' has to meet something with significant resistance before those kind of things happen. Clipping a small portion of ear (or a leaf, or blade of grass, etc., etc.) ... Isn't going to produce all that you claim.

[Lucid Dreamer]

67. Thanks, stopdiggin.

I was going to pare down a big long essay about terminal ballistics as related to the .223 "massive damage" myths related to "reports" of incidents of hearts exploding from fingertip hits. They aren't true.

[no_hypocrisy]

32. Yeah, that Vitamin E sure works miracles . . . .

[lindysalsagal]

36. I can't find this story in ms media. Hope it goes viral

[GreenWave]

38. So X gets a free pass for censoring the truth? Piss off Musk!

[Joinfortmill]

41. Trump is a fraud in every way

[Botany]

43. Something about the whole "thing" doesn't pass my smell test

How did his ear after being hit by a high .223 round which is an ultra high velocity round
heal so quickly? A wound let alone a bullet wound doesn’t heal that quickly.

Those rounds are made to “tumble” after they hit something to cause maximum tissue
damage so the enemy dies of trauma and loss of blood. I don’t know if an ear is
structure enough to cause the bullet to tumble.

How did the shooter get up onto the roof of a building with a direct line of sight of
Trump and stay up there?

I might be very wrong but something just doesn’t pass my smell test.

[sarisataka]

48. Has anyone successfully located this photo

In something other than twitter? I have learned to be skeptical.

[egduj]

55. It's a real photo.

Just from two years ago.

So we went from a teleprompter, and not a bullet, took a chunk out of his ear, to the day never happened.

[stopdiggin]

58. If the photo isn't current .. ? Then that would amount to something like a lie .. ?

[Tommy Carcetti]

92. Except it was current. nt

[stopdiggin]

97. In which case I retract. But there are competing stories here - and clearly SOMEBODY is wrong.

Also want to point out that some people are pointing to this and saying there was no injury period. Again, WRONG!

[Tommy Carcetti]

74. It was by Doug Mills, NYT photographer

Hardly a dubious source.

Link to tweet

[sarisataka]

76. More than once we have seen

Old photos passed off as new on twitter. I am simply wondering where the original was published. We have some saying it was taken in 2022.

[Tommy Carcetti]

80. He's wearing the same pattern tie as he was at the Bitcoin conference

And Doug Mills is the Times photographer assigned to cover the Trump campaign.

So yeah, it was today.

[sarisataka]

81. That does sound like it is legit

Unfortunately I am just on my phone and can't do an image search

[druidity33]

84. You can see the injury in this photo...

if you zoom in and look at the very top of his ear. A small slightly discolored divot.

[Kid Berwyn]

49. Musk is an un-American fascist.

First Amendment beats Censorship every time.

NAZIs just hate the truth.

[spanone]

51. Musk is humping for trmp.

Last edited Sat Jul 27, 2024, 08:17 PM - Edit history (1)

[jcgoldie]

82. more like both are humping for...

Putin.

[Beartracks]

72. Wow, that huge sympathy bandage must've had miraculous healing powers!!

Apparently, relying on data, truth and science is no longer part of the "town square" discussion that Elon once claimed to foster at X.

====================

[bucolic_frolic]

78. Yeah, no damage, but I hear square white ear muffs will be quite the Halloween costume this year

[LetMyPeopleVote]

79. #FreePeteSouza is trending

Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

85. Musk is being an asshole

Link to tweet

[onecaliberal]

86. He posted a photo from an AP photographer that showed trumps ear.

No visible damage.

[Meowmee]

87. He will most likely be reinstated

That is what happens there. The most attacked accounts are usually by far pro Israel accounts. Many of those have been suspended erroneously and have been reinstated. Even my account was attacked for no reason and it is protected. I still have hundreds of followers there and some friends due to a lovely Jewish Iranian friend. Twitter / X is a bit nuts but I can get accurate immediate worldwide news there that I can’t get anywhere else.

As far as his ear goes I always had my doubts and thought that the injuries were not severe enough for a direct hit from a bullet. But he will never release any med records assuming they would show what happened.

[ashredux]

88. " Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

[Mountainguy]

91. meh, in the high def picture

you can see a flesh colored bandage when you zoom in. Clearly something wrapped around his upper ear.

Trump got shot by a republican who was looking for notoriety for shooting anyone famous he could. That's the beginning and the end of it.