Delegates and members of the audience at the Republican National Convention have been spotted wearing ear bandages to match Donald Trump’s.

The former president’s ear was bandaged after it was nicked when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at him during a rally in Pennsylvania at the weekend.

Now, in a bizarre trend that has been dubbed cultish, supporters of the Republican nominee for the presidency donned the strange-looking attire. Some also covered their ear in a show of support.

Trump arrived at the convention in Milwaukee on Sunday (14 July) just two days after the attempted assassination. The shooting claimed the life of volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore, while David Dutch and James Copenhaver were critically injured and remain in Allegheny Hospital, in Pittsburgh.

Seconds after the would-be assassin’s bullet narrowly missed his head, Trump reportedly shouted: Fight, fight, fight.”

President Joe Biden has ordered a review into how Crooks got close enough to shoot at Trump, who, as a former president, is protected by the Secret Service. 

Despite some speculation remaining around the shooting, Trump’s bandaged ear has set a trend, even leading TikTokers to impersonate him saying: “You can take my ears but you cannot take my liberty.” 

People on social media have highlighted the trend with photos of Trump devotees sporting personalised bandages. 

“This is absolutely bonkers,” one person said, with someone else branding it “tragic”. 

And Trump’s supporters have, not for the first time, been accused of being in a “cult”. 

The bandage trend could be set to replace the best-selling “Make American Great Again” hat worn by many Trump supporters. 

Reuters reported the former president telling the Washington Examiner: ”I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today.”

The post Republicans are wearing bandages on their ears to match Trump’s injury appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.