RNC Buzz: Upscale ear bandages, cheese heads, and a dancing queen

MILWAUKEE — The 2024 Republican National Convention ended with staff and volunteers popping balloons in Fiserv Forum in dimmed light after the red, white, and blue earlier showered former President Donald Trump and his family following his nomination acceptance address.

Trump’s address, the longest in presidential history, started contemplative after last weekend’s attempt on his life and concluded 93 minutes later, with the former president telling delegates their “expectations are not big enough.”

“It is time to start expecting and demanding the best leadership in the world, leadership that is bold, dynamic, relentless, and fearless,” he said.

Here are other observations the Washington Examiner made on the last day of the conference:

Convention-goers show off MAGA gear at RNC

Convention-goers show up to the Fiserv Forum decked out in Trump gear. Among the swag was a pair of “Trump 2024” shoes and paper fans featuring a laser-eyed Trump.

Trump plastered on brick alleyway in Milwaukee

The Washington Examiner spotted the manager of a coffee shop painstakingly removing posters from the alley next to his storefront, removing them bit by bit with a spray bottle of hot water.

In one poster, Trump’s head appears superimposed on the photo of a WWII-era general.

Democrats use trucks to counterprogram RNC

A fleet of trucks reading “Dictator on Day One” appeared outside a protest over the police-involved shooting of Samuel Sharpe Jr. in Milwaukee. The Biden campaign frequently invokes Trump’s comment that he would not be a dictator, except for his first day in office.

Another truck claims that Trump would ban access to abortion. He has shied away from a national ban, instead urging Republicans to allow states to determine limits on the procedure.

Wisconsin can’t be outdone by Texas

The delegation from Wisconsin, the host state of the RNC, didn’t want to take the backseat to anyone on the final day of the convention. Texas delegates sported cowboy hats throughout the week and waved them on the arena floor. But Wisconsin showed up Thursday evening with cheese on their heads. 

“Texas has been here all week with their cowboy hats. We decided we were going to answer Texas back tonight with some cheese heads,” said Pete Church, who was sporting an orange cheese wedge on his head. 

Seeing double in New York: Stefanik and Malliotakis

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) revealed they are often victims of mistaken identity.

“Sometimes people, when I’m not on TV, [people] will say ‘we saw you on TV.’ I know they are talking about Nicole Malliotakis,” Stefanik said Thursday morning at a breakfast reception for New York RNC delegates. 

Stefanik gave a speech at the Republican National Convention this week, but it was Malliotakis who got some of the glory. 

“People tell me I gave a great speech the other night. They’re not used to having so many Republican women,” Malliotakis said.

Both are brunette, Republican women from New York and about the same height and age.  Malliotakis is 43 and Stefanik is 40. 

“It happens all the time now,” Malliotakis told the Washington Examiner. After the anti-semitism hearing where [Stefanik] did so well, I had like other elected officials tell me ‘great questions, you did so great at that hearing.’ I’m glad she gets it too though.”

Arkansas delegates rock their poms poms for Trump

Delegates from Arkansas showed their excitement for Donald Trump Thursday evening as they sported red and white pom poms. A pair of delegates even had their own Arkansas for Trump flag that they proudly displayed and poised for photos with other convention attendees.

“We just had one of our delegates go down to the gift shop and buy one for everyone. They bought 40 of them because there’s 40 of us here,” said Sharon Lloyd, an Arkansas delegate, about the pom poms.

On the flag Lloyd said: “We have hauled this around all week long. We took a boat ride and we had it on there. We went down to the lake. We had it out.”

Dancing Hawaii delegate captures the convention floor 

At one point during Thursday’s programming, attendees formed a dancing circle as one delegate from Hawaii let loose on the floor.

Trump ear bandages evolve

Earlier this week, delegates started wearing white bandages on their ears in a sign of unity with Trump who survived an assassisnation attempt Saturday after a bullet grazed his ear. By Thursday, the symbolism turned more patriotic.

Collection of Trump tweets sold as RNC poetry

Two artists are selling a collection of former President Donald Trump’s tweets at the Republican National Convention titled The Collected Poems of Donald J. Trump.

Friends Gregory Woodman and Ian Pratt are selling the 400-page book for $45, bound in a cover usually seen on classic poetry collections. The project appears to be satirical but can still be enjoyed by Trump supporters. It includes Trump’s tweets from 2009 to 2019.

Brady Knox contributed to this report.