Dr. Sanjay Gupta: There are still key questions about Trump’s injuries after attempted assassination

A full public assessment of Trump’s injuries is necessary, Dr. Sanjay Gupta writes, both for the former president’s own health and for the clarity it can provide for voters about the recovery of the man who could become president of the United States once again.

It’s been five days since gunfire erupted at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in an injury to the former president, the death of one attendee, Corey Comperatore, and severe injuries to two others. And although the images we’ve seen of Trump since his attempted assassination have been those of a person who was barely injured and is now in high spirits, what we’ve been told by the campaign offers very little insight into the former president’s condition, what kind of care he received or how his medical team will monitor him in the days and weeks ahead. A full public assessment of Trump’s injuries is necessary, for both the former president’s own health and the clarity it can provide for voters about the recovery of the man who could become president of the United States once again. 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. As a trauma neurosurgeon, I have seen how a thorough evaluation after any kind of gunshot wound can provide a complete picture and lead to a speedier recovery. The first official communication about Trump’s health from his campaign came about 40 minutes after the shooting. It simply said Trump was “fine” and was “being checked out at a local medical facility.” It added that more details would follow. However, the only other official details came about two hours later, in a post by Trump himself on Truth Social, where he wrote: “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.” Beyond that, most of what we know about his injury is based on what we’ve seen in pictures and video, and from secondhand accounts.