The MAGA crowd wore ear bandages in solidarity with Donald Trump and amid all the mockery this one response bellowed loudest

Dominic Carter. Updated July 19th, 2024

It’s been a week since Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt while speaking at a rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, and the world is still dealing with the fallout.

Speculation (some of it fairly reasoned, a lot of it simply febrile) continues to fly around about exactly what happened – was he injured by a bullet or a shard of glass, and just how close did he come to death? – but one surprise result is that his most ardent supporters are sporting a bandage on their right ear.

Acting as a tribute to what Trump himself wore at the Republican National Convention, these bandages seem to have replaced the red MAGA baseball cap as the clothing item that will come to define this year’s election.

A combination image shows Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump with a bandaged ear after he was injured in an assassination attempt, and supporters and attendees wearing bandages over their ears in tribute to Trump. pic.twitter.com/LChjWUsiDo

— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) July 18, 2024

Here’s what Emily Maitlis made of it all ..

“Good week for Tampax!”

How about that fancy new accessory Republicans are wearing?@maitlis | @jonsopel | @lewis_goodall pic.twitter.com/rJ8hKPYbm7

— The News Agents (@TheNewsAgents) July 18, 2024

And here’s just a flavour of the widespread mockery and disbelief it prompted.

What’s happening with this ppl? Jeez Americans are so weird. pic.twitter.com/kGOoIuxNhL

— Leticia Rodríguez (@letirgar) July 18, 2024

It’s a cult pic.twitter.com/tT1HE9UaMt

— Brett Meiselas (@BMeiselas) July 18, 2024

When historians talk of a king having a lisp or going bald and all the courtiers proudly adopting it as ‘fashion’, we think them quite daft and archaic and yet here we are. Quite mad. https://t.co/CvgIJnB5ph

— Mitten d’Amour (@MittenDAmour) July 18, 2024

16 July: @MarinaHyde: “If this was a proper cult, all the delegates and everyone at the next Trump rally would also stick pantyliners to the sides of their heads.” https://t.co/6p6GPcIaKh
18 July…… https://t.co/oB3y55JIUk

— Tim Bale (@ProfTimBale) July 18, 2024

Let’s hope the next assassin sticks a 12 inch dildo up his hole. pic.twitter.com/LEp3YYIKCM

— Florence (@LoxyFlo) July 18, 2024

Nearly sellotaped a rice cake to my ear for a selfie, but sometimes parody is a pointless exercise. https://t.co/8J6aJyzS6Q

— Justin Lewis (whenisbirths on rival platforms) (@WhenIsBirths) July 18, 2024

South Park pic.twitter.com/nYfDEh0AQ3

— Mykhaïlo Golub (@golub) July 18, 2024

Notice how they don’t wear tiny little backpacks to commemorate all the children murdered in schools because you can buy an AK37 at the supermarket. pic.twitter.com/iRj2GT1q9E

— Supertanskiii (@supertanskiii) July 18, 2024

Dumbed down to amoeba level. pic.twitter.com/rpwK1sNKoO

— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) July 18, 2024

10.

“Let us, like Him, hold up one shoe and let the other be upon our foot, for this is His sign, that all who follow Him shall do likewise.” Book of Python, Life of Brian, Scene 18.

— supercity – dunes in profile (@supercity) July 18, 2024

111.

For everyday confidence. Always… pic.twitter.com/3AOoKSRhkr

— emily m (@maitlis) July 18, 2024

But amid all the mockery, one response bellowed loudest.

Can guarantee all these people refused to wear face masks during the pandemic https://t.co/ZGwaDY6kE5

— Dean Tāne (@Maccadaynu) July 18, 2024

They refused to wear a mask during COVID-19 but were quick to put one over their ear—make it make sense. pic.twitter.com/uqbOR4DU3B

— Kenny Akers (@KeneAkers) July 18, 2024

these were the same people that wouldn’t wear a mask because they aren’t sheep https://t.co/vCYZellJUr

— Andrew Nadeau (@TheAndrewNadeau) July 18, 2024

Absolutely nailed it, 100%.