Trump was not Shot

SINCE SATURDAY’S SHOOTING, IT HAS BEEN NOTABLE THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A MEDICAL REVIEW OF TRUMP’S INJURIES, ALTHOUGH HE HAS SAID HE WAS INJURED BY A BULLET THAT RIPPED THROUGH HIS EAR. THIS MATTERS NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE EXTENT OF HIS INJURIES, BUT ALSO BECAUSE TRUMP HAS MADE THE STORY PART OF HIS IDENTITY WITHOUT ANY FACT CHECK, AND THE MEDIA APPEARS SIMPLY TO BE LETTING IT GO ON TRUMP’S SAY-SO, SOMETHING THAT ADDS TO THE SENSE THAT MEDIA OUTLETS ARE TREATING TRUMP AND BIDEN DIFFERENTLY.

LAST NIGHT, TRUMP PERHAPS TRIED TO ADDRESS THIS LACK BY RECOUNTING LAST SATURDAY’S SHOOTING. INTERESTINGLY, HE DID NOT SAY HE WAS HIT BY A BULLET, BUT THAT WHEN HE FELT THE INJURY HE THOUGHT, “IT CAN ONLY BE A BULLET.” JOSH MARSHALL OF TALKING POINTS MEMO TODAY NOTED A REPORT FROM LOCAL PENNSYLVANIA TELEVISION STATION WPXI THAT FOUR MOTORCYCLE OFFICERS STANDING WITHIN FEET OF TRUMP SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES FROM FLYING DEBRIS. TRUMP HAS LIKELY CUT OFF FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE TOPIC BY SAYING IT IS TOO PAINFUL TO TELL THE STORY AGAIN.

Finally. NOW we are getting somewhere. Let’s see what Josh Marshall has to say:


HERE’S A SMALL UPDATE ON THE LACK OF ANY WORD FROM FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR HOSPITAL OFFICIALS ON THE WHAT AND HOW OF THE INJURY DONALD TRUMP SUFFERED LAST SATURDAY IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA WHEN A 20-YEAR-OLD GUNMAN TRIED TO SHOOT HIM. AS I’VE NOTED, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE INITIALLY TOLD REPORTERS ON THE SCENE THAT TRUMP HAD BEEN STRUCK BY SHARDS OF GLASS. THEN TRUMP HIMSELF SAID HE’D BEEN HIT WITH A BULLET AND THAT WAS THE END OF THE MATTER. THERE’S SMALL DETAIL FROM A LOCAL NEWS REPORT FROM LAST SUNDAY THAT SUGGESTS IT AS AT LEAST PLAUSIBLE THAT THE INITIAL REPORT WAS CORRECT, THAT TRUMP WAS STRUCK BY SOME FLYING DEBRIS.

As our John Amato pointed out, it’s pretty darned odd that we have gotten no medical report or press briefing on the condition of the 78 year-old Republican candidate for president, injured after an assassination attempt. It’s especially disturbing given the hyper focus on President Joe Biden’s physical condition.

Meanwhile, Trump is milking what he describes as a near-death experience. During his RNC speech, he said “most” thought he had been killed during the shooting at his Pennsylvania rally last weekend. If that was really the case, the mourning must have been short lived because he got up and walked off the stage in no time, though not before pumping his fist in a photo op he’s already cashing in on.

FBI director Christopher Wray cast doubt on whether Donald Trump was hit by a bullet during the attempted assassination at the Butler rally in Pennsylvania on 13 July.

Mr Wray was updating Congress about the assassination attempt on Trump on Wednesday (24 July) when he made the statement.

Mr Wray said: “With respect to former President Trump, there’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear.

“I don't know right now whether that bullet, in addition to causing the grazing, could have landed somewhere else.”