
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News
Another day, another conspiracy theory about Donald Trump.
There have previously been bizarre claims that Melania Trump has been replaced by a 'body double', and others have insisted that Trump has one too.
Internet sleuths have been examining new pictures of the president, and comparing them to older photos taken before the highly-documented assassination attempt which saw a bullet clip his ear.
It comes days after Trump was pictured wearing one of his trademark red MAGA hats, with his ear seemingly all healed.
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He admitted to press he still feels a 'throbbing feeling every once in a while' in his ear.
The Republican had been speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania in July last year when a gunman climbed the roof of a nearby building and opened fire, killing one supporter who was seated behind Trump, and critically injuring two others.
The shooter was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at Trump with an AR-15-style rifle.
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Crooks was shot and killed by a member of the US Secret Service, who also rushed to protect Trump.
Now, wannabe detectives have been looking for so-called 'clues' online that not everything is as it seems.
Users on X have been sharing snaps of Trump's ear, before and after the shooting.
They are claiming the 'clue' is the alleged 'proof' that the assassination attempt was 'faked', as they believe pictures show there is 'no damage' to the cartilage of his ear, where Trump was reportedly struck by a bullet.
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"Ear cartilage generally does NOT regrow," wrote one user, along with some before and after pics showing the president's ear.
"Likely the biggest scam ever," accused another.
However, some X users came to the president's defence.
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"It does and the bullet graze barely broke the skin. But you knew that," wrote one.
A second insisted: "Y'all realise he's a billionaire right? You don't think the world's best plastic surgeons can repair an ear?"
At the time, former White House physician Ronny Jackson said of Trump's wound: "There was initially significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper ear.
"The swelling has since resolved, and the wound is beginning to granulate and heal properly.
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"Based on the highly vascular nature of the ear, there is still intermittent bleeding requiring a dressing to be in place. Given the broad and blunt nature of the wound itself, no sutures were required."
Another social media user said the conspiracy theory had been debunked.
They penned: "I am not a Trump supporter. I am staunchly anti-Trump. However I'm also against ridiculous conspiracy theories...
"The FBI which was under Biden's control at the time confirmed there was an injury. Medical professionals during the time confirmed that repairing his ear would not be hard and could be made to look normal."
The social media user added: "The ear is full of blood vessels... there is going to be a lot of blood. The streaks of blood on his face are not from the bullet/shrapnel... whichever hit him I don't care... something did... but those streaks happened when he went to the ground because he had to tip his head downwards which caused the blood to fall onto his face."
Addressing recent pictures, they insisted a difference can be seen: "You can see the fact that there is a gap in the helix of the ear as it curves down."
Meanwhile, someone else noted: "Cartilage implant reconstructive surgery has been around for decades. Today they can grow a new ear in a lab."