Imagery Of A Bloodied Trump And Calls To ‘Fight’ Are Everywhere At The RNC

MILWAUKEE — There are many things you can buy at events like the Republican National Convention that feature the very recognizable aesthetic of Donald Trump. For example, gold sneakers or a T-shirt featuring Trump’s face transposed onto a jacked, tattooed body with letters spelling out “The Don” arching over its midsection.

But some of the most outlandish images to make their way onto the apparel and accessories here are actual products of the almost unbelievable reality of Trump’s last year. His mugshot. His criminal trial and conviction. And now, his bloodied cheek and pumped fist following his attempted assassination over the weekend.

In less than a week, that image has become a staple of the RNC’s kitschy merch scene. On Wednesday, Jennifer Bacchione, a delegate from Ocean County, New Jersey, purchased a black XL T-shirt featuring the bloody, defiant Trump for her nephew. Bacchione believes Trump’s near-killing will make him fight even harder for the country, and she’s not letting up either. “Donald Trump wants to fight to keep America free and keep America the way we want it to be,” she told HuffPost. “Not fight against Democrats, not fight against other people. No violence, just fight for our country.”

What it means to “fight” after the party’s standard-bearer was nearly killed is the theme propelling this year’s GOP convention, and Trump’s clenched fist is the image that most defines this gathering of thousands of grassroots party loyalists from across the country. RNC attendees, mimicking Trump’s mouthed plea moments after a bullet grazed the top of his right ear, have chanted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” multiple times a night at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum. “As President Trump raised his fist and gave a rally cry on