A former doctor to Donald Trump says it is an “absolute miracle he wasn’t assassinated” after examining his ear following the attempted assassination.
Ronny L. Jackson met Trump, 78, in Bedminster, New Jersey after his near-death experience to “personally check on him.”
“I am deeply grateful that his life was spared,” Jackson wrote in a letter dated Saturday, uploaded to Truth Social by Trump. ‘It was an absolute miracle he wasn’t assassinated.’
The doctor said Trump suffered a two-centimeter gunshot wound during the attempted assassination last week.
Jackson said the Republican candidate in Pennsylvania had to undergo a CT scan of his head after the bullet hit his ear and that he was still suffering from “intermittent bleeding.” He must therefore keep his bandage on, which has become a symbol of solidarity among his supporters.
The memo by former White House physician Ronny Jackson, now a right-wing Texas lawmaker, is one of the first detailed accounts of the injury Trump suffered when a young gunman opened fire at a rally in Pennsylvania a week ago, killing one bystander and wounding two others.
Ronny L Jackson met Trump, 78, in Bedminster, New Jersey after his near-death experience to ‘personally check on him’. He said: ‘I am extremely grateful that his life was spared. ‘It was an absolute miracle that he was not assassinated.’
Jackson revealed that the Republican candidate had to undergo a CT scan of his head after the bullet hit his ear, and that his injury continues to show “intermittent bleeding,” requiring him to continue wearing his bandages — which has since become a symbol of solidarity among his supporters
“There was significant initial bleeding followed by significant swelling of the entire upper ear. The swelling has now subsided and the wound is beginning to granulate and heal well,” Jackson said in a letter.
He also said the former president will have to undergo additional tests, including a “comprehensive hearing examination.”
The 45th President of the United States was initially treated at Butler Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania. Jackson praised the hospital for its “excellent care” and “excellent work in evaluating and treating his wound.”
“Former President Trump is doing well this summer and is recovering as expected from the gunshot wound he sustained last Saturday afternoon,” Jackson said.
The doctor will travel with Trump to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and “will remain by his side throughout the weekend to provide him with the medical attention he needs.”
Jackson will return to Washington, DC, on Monday before returning to his hometown of Amarillo, Texas, at the end of the week.
Jackson, who retired from the Navy last year as a rear admiral, was first appointed to the White House Medical Unit under former President George W. Bush and then became the president’s physician in 2013 under Barack Obama.
Jackson, who retired from the Navy last year as a rear admiral, was first appointed to the White House Medical Unit under former President George W. Bush, then became the president’s physician in 2013 under Barack Obama.
But he came to national prominence in 2018 after he effusively praised Trump’s health and “great genes,” saying, “I told the president that if he had eaten healthier for the last 20 years, he might live to be 200.”
Shortly afterward, Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, but Jackson withdrew his nomination after allegations he had illegally distributed drugs and sometimes been drunk on the job.
During his campaign for Congress, Jackson presented himself as a staunch Trump supporter, endorsing the narrative that Obama had “weaponized” the government to spy on Trump.
He also cut ties with public health authorities on the coronavirus, saying that wearing a mask should be a “personal choice” and questioning whether Joe Biden was cognitively capable of running for president.