The spectacle of the Republication National Convention spanned more than just the speeches and visuals taking place onstage. Offstage, the scenes unfolding in the crowd also made plenty of headlines.
White patches on the ears of many in the crowd marked a new trend for former President Donald Trump's supporters as they donned makeshift ear bandages mimicking the one the former president wore throughout the Republican National Convention due to an ear injury he suffered during an assassination attempt over the weekend.
Appearing in public for the first time since a bullet grazed his ear, Trump entered the Fiserv Forum with a white bandage prominently affixed to his ear, a visual reminder of the potential tragedy he narrowly escaped.
In the days that followed, members of the crowd were seen with various versions of the patch on their own ears, some even wearing American flag-themed ear pieces in support of Trump.
Karen Tirio, a delegate from Woodstock in McHenry County, was seen handing out such pieces, made by Randy Donley from Donley Auctions in Union, Illinois.
"We're going try to get 1,500 people at the convention to wear these. They're not bandages - some people are actually wearing bandages, which kind of seems like mocking - but this, it rises above that because it's the American flag and it shows the American spirit of resilience. And when [Trump] was shot and got up and said, 'Fight, fight, fight,' that's what that's all about."
On the back of the cuffs, the ear pieces read "July 13. We ALL dodged a bullet."
Tirio said the pieces are being worn "in solidarity" with Trump.
RNC Milwaukee
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"It's the American spirit. I'm flying my flag upside down right now because I don't think we're following the Constitution. Our country's in big trouble and it's a sign of distress," she said. "But when President Trump got shot, and he stood right up after he got his shoes fitted back and he said, 'Fight, fight, fight,' it's like, we're resilient. That's what we're all about. And I'm hoping that President Trump doesn't even have the bandage on tonight, I don't know, but I hope."
The shooting hung over the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where prominent GOP officials and everyday citizens from around the country spoke to the party faithful. They made their case for Trump to return to the White House and savaged Democratic President Joe Biden with blistering attacks on his record and his mental acuity.
Supporters in the audience were seen wearing cowboy hats, “make American great again” caps, Trump masks and American flag regalia as they cheered him on.
Trump is scheduled to address the convention Thursday night, punctuating four days of political speeches and pageantry in Milwaukee.
