Trump’s injury revealed to be a huge hole in relative terms

In a memorandum dated July 20, addressed to “Concerned Citizens of the United States,” former President Donald Trump’s former physician, Dr. Ronny Jackson, detailed the alarming nature of the injury Trump sustained when a bullet, fired by 20-year-old would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks, struck his ear.

Dr. Jackson — who has served as congressional representative in Texas since 2021 — noted, “The bullet track produced a 2 cm wide wound that extended down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear.” While some may casually dismiss this injury as minor, a closer examination reveals its true gravity.

By applying some basic mathematics, we can better understand the extent of the damage.

For context, the average human male’s ear has a surface area of approximately 49 square centimeters. A hole with a 2 cm diameter equates to a surface area of about 3.14 (also the number for pi) square centimeters, which constitutes roughly 6.4% of the total ear surface area.

Now, imagine losing over 6% of any part of your body — the impact is significant and far from trivial.

To further contextualize Trump’s injury, let’s consider the surface area of the average human body, which is approximately 18,000 square centimeters. By applying simple cross-multiplication, we can scale the injury: 49 cm² (the surface area of an average ear) is to 3.14 cm² (the area of the 2 cm hole) as 18,000 cm² (the body’s surface area) is to X. Solving this, we find X to be 1153 cm².

This means that if the same percentage of damage were applied to the entire body, it would equate to a hole with a surface area of 1153 square centimeters. In terms of diameter, this translates to an astonishing 38.3 cm, or roughly 15 inches.

Essentially, the bullet wound, scaled up in proportion, would be as if Trump got punched with a 15 inch hole.

Clearly, no standard bullet creates such a massive hole in the human body, barring exceptional cases like exploding headshots with specialized ammunition. However, this comparison underscores the relative severity of a 2 cm hole in an ear.

It’s not merely a scratch; it’s a substantial and painful injury.

The point here isn’t to exaggerate Trump’s injury — although it is undeniable that divine intervention saved him from the assassination attempt on his life — but to highlight the misconception that it was minor. When critics, particularly those in legacy media, downplay the wound as insignificant, they ignore the considerable damage inflicted. A 1-inch chunk of flesh is a significant loss, one that few would willingly endure let alone dismiss as minor.

Moreover, this incident raises questions about how the media portrays events related to Trump.

There is without a shadow of a doubt a deliberate and nefarious tendency to minimize occurrences that could elicit sympathy for Trump, which is currently manifesting by downplaying the severity of his injury.

The goal of this is to skew public perception. The hole in Trump’s ear is significant; both in its immediate impact and its symbolic weight.

Those dismissing Trump’s injury as a mere scratch need to reconsider. The wound was far more serious than many realize or admit. And it’s doubtful whether any of them would volunteer to lose a 1-inch chunk of their own ear, let alone even contemplate a proportionate body wound. The severity of Trump’s wound deserves acknowledgment, not dismissal.

Indeed, it was a near-miraculous escape from what could have been a fatal injury.

During his closing remarks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Friday evening, a trend emerged: Many RNC attendees were sporting ear bandages in a show of solidarity with Trump, turning the bandage into a conspicuous symbol.

The ear bandage fashion has evolved here at RNC pic.twitter.com/PbSYXOi6ft

— Cami Mondeaux (@cami_mondeaux) July 19, 2024

Members of the Arizona delegation kicked off a new trend at the RNC.

“If he needs to wear a patch, well, we’re going to wear one too”

—Ray Michaels, 60, on his Trump-inspired bandage pic.twitter.com/1qKtVngMSJ

— The Free Press (@TheFP) July 18, 2024

These people are idiots. AND in a #cult! 🤦‍♀️#Magats wearing “ear bandage” in solidarity of Herr tRump at RNC.#VoteBlue2024ProtectDemocracy #VoteBlueIfYouEverWantToVoteAgain 💙💙💙

https://t.co/tC12qjSlYk pic.twitter.com/Pw3MyUYKUj

— Maidstone 🎶🎵 (@Maidstone7) July 17, 2024

In short, Trump’s calls for unity did not fall on deaf ears — pun intended.

As the nation moves forward, we can only hope that Trump remains safe from any future assassination attempts, which may become a more pressing concern should he win the Oval Office in November.

The moment Trump miraculously survived an attempt on his life, and the bandage covering his ear becoming a unifying trend, serve as a powerful reminder: When it comes to the life and safety of a former president, no wound is too small to be taken seriously.