It’s no secret that the nation’s media — and a good portion of international press — focuses on New Hampshire during presidential primary season.
Reporters flood coffee shops, bookstores, and tattoo parlors looking for voters who support this or that candidate, which is exactly how Bob Holmes’s offhand comment about giving out free Donald Trump tattoos went viral. Then, it became a thing. (He’s done 25 and counting.)
Holmes, 48, who owns Clay Dragon Tattoo in Seabrook, N.H., was talking to a London-based journalist who was in town covering the presidential primary about why he supported the reality-TV-show-personality-turned-presidential-contender. At the end of the interview, she asked if he’d ever done a Trump tattoo.
“And I said, no, but I would do them for free,’’ he recalled Tuesday, as he waited on a customer seeking a Trump tat.
Soon that became the comment heard round the world. German and Norwegian news outlets picked up the story, which took on a life of its own from there.
“With Facebook it’s spreading like crazy,’’ Holmes said. “I’m getting messages from California and Florida saying congratulations.’’
While people aren’t flying in from the West Coast to have Trump’s slogan — or his silhouette — inked into their flesh for all time, they are driving in. Adam DeMott drove up from Amesbury on Tuesday.
DeMott, 34, got Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again’’ inked into the small space between a tattoo of the Virgin Mary and the Patriots logo on his forearm.
“The slogan’s awesome,’’ he said. “The slogan’s everything we need right now.’’
So just why does DeMott like Trump enough to create a piece of permanent campaign swag?
“Who else is there to support? I’m middle-blue collar. I work at the Navy and shipyard, so I’m right in the middle of it,’’ he said.
Holmes said he’s not sure how long the complimentary service will continue. “Until I just about lose my house,’’ he jokes. Or maybe, just maybe, he says, until he does a Trump stamp. No one has gotten one of those yet.
Akilah Johnson can be reached at akilah.johnson@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @akjohnson1922.
