Remember when there was a debate where George W. Bush had a very visible square shaped thing under the back of his suit and also he was very clearly talking to someone only he could hear and everyone pretended to believe he didn't have a radio transmitter of some sort
I remember when it happened and was over at my brother's. He does location sound and showed me a similar device. It has a nearly invisible earpiece and a loop that goes around your neck with a small box that transmits sound to a remote device and receives sounds which it sends to the earpiece.
Yes! And I remember loving one of the few badass moments John Kerry ever showed when at the walk out onto stage by the two candidates at the next debate, he faked "just gonna shake hands", pulled W into a hug, and patted down his back.
I thought he should have been sworn in as POTUS on the spot.
As part of the cultural script, the chosen opposition could not actually question this fact. They have to give the benefit of the down and assume that everything was done in good faith.