- Former President Donald Trump wears a bandage after being wounded in an assassination attempt.
- Some RNC attendees and supporters began wearing earplugs as a sign of solidarity.
- Leaders throughout history have shown similar support, such as Alexei Navalny.
After surviving an assassination attempt, former President Donald Trump made his first public appearance two days later, on the first night of the Republican National Convention.
He entered the convention center wearing a thick bandage over his right ear, where the bullet hit him. In the days that followed, some of his supporters began wearing their own bandages.
Like wearing a MAGA hat, “it facilitates a sense of belonging and a sense of connectedness,” Dr. Catherine Nobile, a clinical psychologist in New York, told Business Insider. “‘We’re all in this together, we’re all behind the same idea.’”
The bandages are more than just Trump T-shirts and yard signs, Dr. Angie Corbo, chair of communication studies at Widener University, told Business Insider.
This is a classic example of co-regulation — a coping mechanism, well-documented in psychology, that can calm the nervous system.
Reassuring signs of solidarity in difficult times
Emulating has always been a gesture of devotion and support. Take for example the people who shaved their heads in solidarity with cancer patients.
This is also nothing new in the world of politics. In 2017, for example, Supporters of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny painted their faces green after an attacker splashed antiseptic green dye on his face.
For Navalny and now Trump supporters, the act of copying is a sign of solidarity. “It’s like saying, ‘We matter and you can’t take that away from us,’” Nobile said. “‘My feelings about myself, the world around me, this culture, politics in general, those are opinions that have validity and will not be harmed.’”
But this is more than just a political statement of resistance and loyalty. Signs of solidarity are also reassuring.
Humans have a default way to process overwhelming emotions and stress: co-ordination, the technical term for hugging, talking, or touching. Evidence suggests co-ordination, such as wearing the same bandage, can “create a sense of understanding and belonging that can calm the nervous system,” Nobile says.
“Not every Trump supporter can come and hug,” he added. “The earplugs they’re wearing, they could be a symbol of trying to organize together as a community.”
Trump’s softer stance continues to garner support
Corbo said one of Trump’s strengths was his ability to use the media to his advantage. He expressed joy at the iconic photo moments after being shot because he understood the impact it had. Fans have already tattooed the photo.
Earplugs convey a different, softer message — one that can make the listener feel more connected to them.
To set the mood, Trump’s tone and demeanor were softer throughout the RNC. Revisiting the assassination attempt, he was calm and somber. Later, he paid tribute to Corey Comperatore, a man killed at the rally, by hugging his firefighter uniform.
“When he kisses the helmet, anyone who is in a parasocial relationship with him feels the hug,” Corbo said.
The visible bandage further aroused the sympathy, concern, and togetherness of his supporters.
“I’m not sure how long they will last, but he may see the value in combining the gentle and the strong with each other,” he said.
