Which news outlets or official sources reported on Trump's ear injury and provided evidence?
Executive summary
Coverage of Donald Trump’s ear injury after the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt includes campaign-released medical claims, mainstream news reporting, and later fact-checking and commentary; the Trump campaign’s document from Rep. Ronny Jackson described a “gunshot wound” to the right ear and a 2 cm wound [1][2], while independent outlets and fact-checkers documented bandages, photos, and disputed social-media claims about “no injury” [3][1]. Major outlets noted the absence of a full hospital or attending-physician public medical report, prompting questions about official documentation [4].
1. Campaign release: a detailed medical account from a Trump ally
The most specific medical description publicly promoted came from Rep. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician, whose letter circulated via the Trump campaign and claimed a gunshot wound to the right ear—described as a 2 cm wound from a high‑powered rifle that “came less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head” and caused initial heavy bleeding and swelling [2][1]. News outlets such as PBS and MedPage Today reported on Jackson’s memo and noted Jackson’s credentials while also noting that hospital physicians and the attending physician did not give public briefings [5][2].
2. Mainstream reporting: photos, bandages and unanswered questions
News organizations including TIME and PBS documented Trump appearing publicly with a bandage on his right ear at the Republican National Convention and relayed family comments (Eric Trump) and campaign statements about no stitches and intact hearing—while also flagging that the campaign did not release full medical records or a hospital briefing [1][5]. Poynter and other media critics highlighted that, despite visible bandaging and immediate post‑shooting bleeding, there was no comprehensive official medical report made available in the immediate aftermath, leaving some clinical details unconfirmed [4].
3. Fact‑checks and visual record: disputed social posts and agency photos
Fact‑checking organizations have pushed back against viral claims that Trump’s ear showed “nothing wrong.” Deutsche Welle’s fact check found that a circulating photo claiming there was “absolutely nothing wrong” was old and not representative; agency photographs and other images showed a bandage on the right ear in public appearances, which contradicts the “no injury” posts [3]. Those fact checks documented both the existence of photographic evidence of a bandage and the prevalence of misleading social posts asserting no injury [3].
4. Independent and retrospective medical commentary
Later commentary by medical and cosmetic specialists assessed photographs and healing, with some surgeons describing healed tissue, slight deformity or bumpiness, and suggesting no publicly reported major reconstructive surgery [6]. These assessments are independent analyses of images rather than confirmations from treating clinicians; available sources do not mention a full public surgical report or hospital disclosure of operative details [6][4].
5. What official sources did—and did not—provide
Officially: the Trump campaign circulated Ronny Jackson’s letter and photographs of Trump wearing bandages, and the FBI later issued a statement addressing the ear injury [2][1]. Not provided publicly: a hospital or attending physician’s detailed medical report and full medical records were not released in the immediate reporting; pundits and media critics pointed to that absence as a gap in public documentation [4].
6. Conflicting narratives and how to weigh evidence
There are three competing strands in the record: (A) the campaign’s detailed description via Jackson claiming a gunshot wound that grazed and damaged the ear [2], (B) photographic evidence and family comments that document a bandage and limited disclosed treatment without stitches and reportedly preserved hearing [1][3], and (C) social‑media claims insisting there was “nothing wrong,” which fact‑checkers have flagged as misleading because images and agency photos show bandaging [3]. Readers should weigh primary documents (Jackson’s memo and agency photos) and independent fact checks higher than unverified social posts.
7. Limitations, unanswered questions and why they matter
Reporting consistently notes the absence of a formal public hospital or attending‑physician briefing and the lack of released comprehensive medical records, leaving precise clinical details—exact wound depth, imaging findings, and definitive surgical or non‑surgical interventions—unconfirmed in the public record [4][1]. That lack of hospital‑level disclosure is the central limitation of available reporting and explains ongoing debate and conspiratorial speculation [4].
8. Bottom line for readers
Documented evidence in mainstream reporting and campaign materials shows Trump wore a bandage and that Rep. Ronny Jackson’s circulated memo described a gunshot wound to the right ear [2][1]. Independent fact‑checking undermines social posts claiming “no injury” by pointing to dated photos and visible bandaging in agency images [3]. At the same time, a full official hospital report or public release of complete medical records was not made available in initial reporting, leaving some clinical specifics publicly unresolved [4].