FBI says Trump struck by bullet or its fragment; Assassination Attempt Investigations

[CFordUNC]

Thought this was worthy of its own thread. To be very clear, the probability of Trump having been hit by shrapnel instead of a bullet does *not* lesson the seriousness of an assassination attempt against an American presidential candidate. Period, full stop. I repeat: the probability of Trump having been hit by shrapnel instead of a bullet does *not* lesson the seriousness of an assassination attempt against an American presidential candidate.

That said, this was always the most obvious occurrence once he *immediately* announced it was a bullet on social media, followed by his campaign being issues a complete silence gag order, followed by no official medical report of any kind, followed by Trump's appearing on the golf course the very next day without anything on his ear yet coming out to the RNC the following day wearing a maxi pad on his ear.

Again, the fact that it was probably shrapnel doesn't diminish the severity of the assassination attempt, but it does further reveal how unfathomably dishonest Trump and his entire campaign are. It was always pretty clear to those of us with even a passing semblance of knowledge about guns and human anatomy, that Trump was not hit or even grazed by a round fired by an AR-15.

 

[1moretimeagain]

There were multiple signs that it was debris/shrapnel.

First, the intial reporting said it was shrapnel. Then Trump claimed it was a bullet, virtually confirming he was indeed hit by shrapnel.

 

[CFordUNC]

There were multiple signs that it was debris/shrapnel.

First, the intial reporting said it was shrapnel. Then Trump claimed it was a bullet, virtually confirming he was indeed hit by shrapnel.

Totally agree. It was so obvious all along.

 

[Rock]

The thing that kills me is.. as you say, it's not like he didn't have a bullet whiz by his head and not like he wasn't factually in the crosshairs of a person that could have blown his head off if they had a little better aim/luck. And we extend Donald Trump that "grace" because we're decent people. And then they take that grace and shit all over it with his choice to lie, that then his idiot children and all their lemmings amplify to the world that "he took a bullet for democracy" and all of that crap just because they/he knows it makes him look better.

If Joe Biden or Kamala Harris had the same scenario happen, they'd immediately have come out saying "looks like I was just grazed by shrapnel. Thank god and thanks to all the heroic first respodners, etc. Sorry to the people who lost their lives, etc. etc."

I just hate that he has to lie about everything and why and all of it.

 

[Wheels81]

 

[Kraftyheel89]

It would have been bad for Anerica to lose a nominee that way. Sure, I'd love for him to go away forever, or even be locked up as he deserves. But I do not wish that fate on anyone, not even Trump.

But that was clearly shrapnel and a bad scratch in area that bleeds a lot. The fact that Trump lies, and plays the showman martyr "I took a bullet for America" is typical for his self serving schtick.

 

[CallMeTyler]

His ear would be completely disfigured by a 5.56 round, even with it grazing. That was always a dubious claim.

 

[aGDevil2k]

The miracle of ear diapers

 

[ronjon]

There isn’t any winning arguing he was shot at vs shot. He’s a lying liar and everyone knows it. Best to put this incident away as there isn’t a gotcha here.

 

[NCK9]

Could they tell if it was bullet shrapnel vs teleprompter (or something else) shrapnel? Agree that an intact bullet would probably do more damage and the photos show something stuck in his ear (piece of glass???).

 

[WaynetheDrain]

Obviously it doesn't truly matter, but did anyone really doubt that Trump wasn't hit with a bullet? The second he said it, I knew it was a lie.

 

[heelinhell]

Whether debris or bullet is no matter, but this revelation that it was debris probably explains why there has been no medical report. Making a medical report public would have exposed Trump as a liar.

 

[CFordUNC]

Could they tell if it was bullet shrapnel vs teleprompter (or something else) shrapnel? Agree that an intact bullet would probably do more damage and the photos show something stuck in his ear (piece of glass???).

Four Pennsylvania state troopers who were stationed near the stage in front of where Trump was speaking suffered shrapnel injuries. That was reported almost immediately by local Pennsylvania news. Almost certain that if they were hit by shrapnel, so too was Donald Trump.

 

[CFordUNC]

Obviously it doesn't truly matter, but did anyone really doubt that Trump wasn't hit with a bullet? The second he said it, I knew it was a lie.

Same. The moment that he popped back up and tried to do the whole fist pump thing was when I knew. Anyone who had just had their ear legitimately hit by a round fired from an AR-15 would not have had the ability or desire to do that.

 

[superrific]

Same. The moment that he popped back up and tried to do the whole fist pump thing was when I knew. Anyone who had just had their ear legitimately hit by a round fired from an AR-15 would not have had the ability or desire to do that.

In fairness, what's your basis for that conclusion about what someone might or might not do after having their ear hit by a high powered bullet? I mean, I wouldn't know what I would be able to do or want to do. I've never been hit by a bullet. I've never had a serious injury to my ear.

That said, I think it's pretty obvious by now that he wasn't hit by a bullet and while this might not matter at all in the long-term, it could at least be noted for posterity.

 

[CFordUNC]

In fairness, what's your basis for that conclusion about what someone might or might not do after having their ear hit by a high powered bullet? I mean, I wouldn't know what I would be able to do or want to do. I've never been hit by a bullet. I've never had a serious injury to my ear.

That said, I think it's pretty obvious by now that he wasn't hit by a bullet and while this might not matter at all in the long-term, it could at least be noted for posterity.

I just meant that, with what we know about what AR-15 caliber rounds do physiologically to the human body, it would seem completely implausible for anyone who was hit in any way shape or form by something so powerful and so destructive to be able (or have the desire) to immediately jump back up and pump their fist. I got hit in the right cheek by a BB from a BB gun in high school, and the instant pain and shock of it was debilitating for several minutes. Just hard to fathom that a human ear could get hit with a high caliber round fired from an AR-15 and have the person to which it is attached bounce right back up and pump their fist.

 

[NCK9]

Could the bullet have fragmented and a piece hit him?

 

[superrific]

Could the bullet have fragmented and a piece hit him?

Not there. Even the fragments would have huge forward velocity. It would take something much stronger than ear cartilage to redirect them so sharply.

 

[superrific]

I just meant that, with what we know about what AR-15 caliber rounds do physiologically to the human body, it would seem completely implausible for anyone who was hit in any way shape or form by something so powerful and so destructive to be able (or have the desire) to immediately jump back up and pump their fist. I got hit in the right cheek by a BB from a BB gun in high school, and the instant pain and shock of it was debilitating for several minutes. Just hard to fathom that a human ear could get hit with a high caliber round fired from an AR-15 and have the person to which it is attached bounce right back up and pump their fist.

While I agree with you in general, I'm not sure this applies to the ear. The cheek is your face. It's scary because if the BB had been a real bullet, you would have been dead or seriously injured.

Also, the truly traumatic effects of the AR-15 come from the bullet fragmentation when it hits the body. I don't know if that's only a function of the (hollow-point?) bullet or also the velocity of the round, but in any event, the floppy ear just cannot deliver the same force against the bullet as even, say, belly fat (let alone bone or muscle). It would be much less likely to fragment, imo.

Now, if you're making your comment specific to Trump, I would tend to agree. Trump seems to me like the kind of guy who would howl in pain for 5 minutes from a jammed finger.

 

[CFordUNC]

While I agree with you in general, I'm not sure this applies to the ear. The cheek is your face. It's scary because if the BB had been a real bullet, you would have been dead or seriously injured.

Also, the truly traumatic effects of the AR-15 come from the bullet fragmentation when it hits the body. I don't know if that's only a function of the (hollow-point?) bullet or also the velocity of the round, but in any event, the floppy ear just cannot deliver the same force against the bullet as even, say, belly fat (let alone bone or muscle). It would be much less likely to fragment, imo.

Now, if you're making your comment specific to Trump, I would tend to agree. Trump seems to me like the kind of guy who would howl in pain for 5 minutes from a jammed finger.

Great points, all!