Why it matters: To his diehard supporters, Trump isn’t just a candidate. He’s a lifestyle choice and a vehicle for self-expression — a way to continually flip the middle finger at big media, big business, big government … anything big.

It’s all part of one of the big Trump triumphs — convincing his voters that an attack on him is actually an attack on them.

A hat, popular in rural convenience stores this summer, says it all: “If You Don’t Like Trump Then You Probably Won’t Like Me.”

At rallies, you see people wearing Trump flags like a billowing robe. And a lot of this isn’t official campaign merch — people print these up themselves.