According to Fox News, in May 2019, the Trump campaign created a form to enter the giveaway for the sale of the millionth MAGA hat (Fox News, 2019). The red hat, signed by the President, advertised as a prize, is enough to show the importance of apparel in today’s campaigns.
The number of hats sold as well as the numerous controversies surrounding incidents happening to and around people wearing it (The Washington Post, 2019) seem to indicate that the hat is not just part of a campaign strategy. Considered as a form of political participation, the decision of wearing a Trump hat should be taken seriously and studied. Understanding why people choose to wear it can tell a lot about Trump’s electorate and the social movement it has created.
Wearing a MAGA hat can be considered as political participation for different reasons. Van Deth sets a few guidelines to recognize something as political participation. In a nutshell, it has to be a voluntary action, conducted by a citizen and aimed at the sphere of politics (Van Deth, 2014). Those who wear MAGA hats are American citizens who want to show that they support the candidate —and later the President, and that they are part of a group of supporters.
Fashion has a long history of being linked to politics. In a 2005 article, Joshua Miller explains that “fashion is free speech” and that we dress in a certain way to be seen. He then goes on to say that :
"People often proclaim their allegiances-political, cultural, religious, professional-by the way they dress” (Miller, 2005)
Wearing certain clothes, showing allegiance to a group by wearing a common color or merchandise is a way to politically participate.
In a more pragmatic way, one could argue that buying a MAGA hat is a way to participate in the political process since it gives financial support to the candidate (Scarrow, 2014).
If wearing a Trump hat is a form of political participation, then the question that remains is : why do people choose to wear it? The aim of this paper is to answer that question. What factors push people to decide to wear it and what significance does it have? What can it tell us about Trump’s electorate?
The Trump hat success can be seen as a symptom of increasingly “candidate-centered politics” (Wattenberg, 1991) and the importance of charismatic leaders in politics (Portis, 1987). Moving away from a candidate-centered approach, the craze generated by the hat among supporters, can also be analyzed as a new form of political discourse, particularly important for an electorate that felt unheard by politicians and in need of a renewed sense of belonging (Miller, 2005 ; Carney, 2019 ; Jackman & Jackman, 1973).
Candidate-centered politics and the hat as the attribute of the charismatic leader
The success of the Trump hat is the symptom of the importance of the candidate in politics and how charisma and symbols are crucial in elections.
As described by Wattenberg, candidates have an important role in polarizing the opinion (Wattenberg, 1991). This is particularly true in presidential politics in the US where the institutions are designed to give a lot of power to one person.
The red hat, as part of Trump’s costume, shows that Donald Trump, the person, is very important in mobilizing the opinion. To wear the Trump hat is to express ones own political beliefs in reproducing the behavior of the candidate. This means that the candidate does not only mobilizes citizens in the formal process of voting but that he also makes them express their opinion in the same way that he does. In a way, the candidate is the engine of public opinion (at least for its supporters).
This phenomenon is also a great example of the importance of charisma in politics. As developed by E. B. Portis, charisma is incremental in fostering popular participation (Portis, 1987). Donald Trump’s charism inspires masses and a proof of this success is the fandom-like nature of the support he gets. Donald Trump has brought merchandising, which is mostly used by pop stars and sports teams, within the realm of political discourse (it is true that merchandise has existed in many campaigns but the scale of the Trump hat makes it more clear).
Portis also explains that charisma is important because it acts as a distinguishable symbol :
“Politics for the mass of citizens is largely symbolic” (Portis, 1987)
The symbolism of Donald Trump would probably not be as blatant without the signature red hat. This symbol sends a clear and intelligible message : I am with Trump and I want to make America Great Again. The supporter does not have to explain his/her position, simply wearing the hat allows them to participate in politics.
Group consciousness and a voice for the unheard
The MAGA hat tells a lot about the importance of a charismatic candidate in US politics. Understanding why people individually decide to wear one to be part of a group tells the story of an electorate that felt like it was unheard and who was in need of group consciousness.
As defined by Jackman & Jackman group consciousness :
“[…] involves identification with a group and a political awareness or ideology regarding the group’s relative position in society along with a commitment to collective action aimed at realizing the group’s interests.” (Jackman & Jackman, 1973)
In those terms, wearing the Trump hat is a real tool to foster group consciousness. It allows “members” to identify each other on the basis of a political opinion and a common goal: electing their candidate, and later making America great (again). According to Joshua Miller, fashion does not have a meaning until it’s worn in public; clothes are meant to be seen and describes someones identity and sometimes, allegiance to a group (Miller, 2005). American public places are the agora in which Trump supporters show their allegiance to their group to the other citizens. Miller goes on to explain that this sense of belonging has an empowering potency :
“Shared appearance can foster a common feeling, and that feeling might stimulate common action.” (Miller, 2005)
The hat, in symbolizing their political opinion, allow those who wear it to feel like they are part of the same fight. In this context, the hat becomes a true social movement. Group consciousness is key in mobilizing supporters and fostering political participation (Miller, Gurin & Gurin, Malanchuk, 1981).
One might ask why such a strong need for group consciousness emerged among Trump supporters. The answer might lie in the supporters socio-economic status.
In Alienated America, Timothy Carney draws a portrait of the Trump voter. He explains that although not the poorest economically, Donald Trump’s supporters are poor in terms of social capital (Carney, 2019). Like Robert Putnam in Bowling Alone, Carney tells the story of an America that has lost the sense of belonging, partly because churches and factories are closing and marriage as well as close-knit communities are on the decline.
Those lost bonds and being pictured as “flyover country” created a population that developed growing distrust towards others and politicians. The appealing discourse of Donald Trump about making “America Great Again” was embodied by the red hat. The renewed sense of togetherness came from being able to identify with a group that felt the same. As Miller says, fashion is an “opportunity for expression”, those who bought it, saw in the hat an easy and straightforward way to be involved in the political discourse. The flashy red color of the hat could be paralleled with the fluorescent yellow of the French yellow vests, who followed a similar pattern of group consciousness.
Conclusion
The Trump hat has become the symbol of a movement. It constitutes a form of political participation that is linked to the more traditional act of voting. People started to wear the Trump hat because they live in a system in which the candidate matters a lot. This specific candidate was seen as charismatic. This charism paired with the possibility to be part of a political group made the hat appealing. It allowed the voter to identify with a charismatic leader as well as with a like-minded community.
The popularity of the hat serves to show that candidates do not only exist within the realm of electoral politics. Donald Trump had an important impact on a certain fringe of the population. His charisma and personality, empowered a community that felt abandoned. In this sense, candidates can be seen as great enhancers of political participation.
The important scale of the Trump hat can be attributed to the electorate that it was appealing to. The hat provided social and political capital to a community that felt deprived of any. Their distrust of politicians and the media, made them feel like they were not being heard. The hat served as a magnifier and allowed this group to create a strong sense of belonging through a common attribute.
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