TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The presidential campaign collided with the football field on Saturday, further proving the lengths the rival candidates will go to reach a captive audience of hundreds of thousands of fans of teams from battleground states.
Former President Donald Trump attended Saturday’s Georgia-Alabama game in Tuscaloosa, a nail-biter that lived up to its billing as the most highly anticipated clash of the young college football season. Trump threw out snacks to clamoring fans and received rapturous applause - and a smattering of boos - when he was introduced.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, spent much of the day watching the Michigan Wolverines take on the Minnesota Gophers in Ann Arbor. He was greeted at the airport by students in a bus with a banner that read, “Put Me In, Coach!”
Ahead of the games, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign launched a new effort to mobilize athletes and coaches. Among the group’s members are Pro Football Hall of Famers Mel Blount and Calvin Johnson, both Georgia natives. It also launched a 30-second ad that aired during the game mocking her Republican opponent for refusing to appear at a CNN debate on Oct. 23 in Atlanta.
Why are the rivals spending precious campaign time at gridiron grudge matches and playing up sports endorsements this close to the election?
For one, they are an easy chance to appeal to voters. More than 100,000 football fans packed these stadiums on Saturday, and tens of thousands of others crowded Ann Arbor and Tuscaloosa to enjoy the pregame tailgating.
The on-campus showdowns also are an enticing opportunity to appeal to a segment of the electorate that’s notoriously hard to reach: Young voters.
Michigan is a key state for both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, and recent polls show Democrats with a slight lead in the political battleground.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Alabama, of course, is a GOP lock in November. But Trump’s attendance at Alabama’s highly anticipated matchup against the Bulldogs will guarantee him more exposure to fans in the neighboring battleground of Georgia.
“He’s going to get media attention regardless of whether the cameras pan to his box,” Republican strategist Brian Robinson said of the game, a close Alabama win that came down to a thrilling conclusion. “It’ll be the most watched event of the evening, far more than anything on cable TV.”
Trump soaked up the adulation. Sitting in a luxury suite near the 40th yard line, he was joined by former Senate candidate Herschel Walker, musician Kid Rock — who arrived in Tuscaloosa separately in his private jet — and several Alabama politicians.
The box owned by Ric Mayers, a businessman who met his wife at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago club, was filled with Trump and Alabama memorabilia and stocked with his favorite snacks. Guests were handed buttons playing off the team’s cheer that read: “Roll Trump Roll.”
When Trump was introduced a few minutes into the second quarter, many fans chanted his name or “U-S-A.” Some booed loudly or registered their displeasure in other ways.
Trump grinned and pumped his fist as he stood behind bulletproof glass that’s become the norm at many of his events after attempts on his life. He left shortly after, long before Georgia’s second half surge nearly cemented an epic comeback over Alabama.
As for Walz, he is more than happy to lean into his background as a former high school state champion football coach. His campaign has already taken him to schools to talk to students around the nation, including to Liberty County High in southeast Georgia and Georgia Tech.
Harris campaign spokesman Michael Tyler framed the emphasis on sports as a crucial way to connect with hard-to-reach voters. And he put his own spin on the GOP’s efforts.
“Donald Trump, at this stage in his life, is like that washed up athlete who claims he’s still got it, refuses to hang up his cleats, and holds the franchise’s future hostage,” said Tyler.
Democrats found other ways to needle Trump, too. A flashy 30-second ad aired during the game that derided the Republican for rejecting a second debate against Harris, featuring a narrator’s challenge: “Champions know it’s any time, any place. But losers, they whine and waffle and take their ball home.”
(A plan to fly a plane above Bryant-Denny Stadium with a banner that reads, “Trump’s Punting on 2nd Debate,” was scrapped because of weather issues, according to campaign officials.)
Georgia voters have grown used to politicking on fall Saturdays. Every two years, candidates try to leverage the enthusiasm around gridiron games into energy for their campaigns – perhaps none so much as Walker, who failed to channel his Georgia football stardom into a 2022 U.S. Senate victory.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Trump, too, is no stranger to Saturday showdowns. He attended the national championship game between Georgia and Alabama in Atlanta in 2018, leaving in the second quarter before the epic (and for Georgia fans, unfortunate) game-ending play.
His attendance at that game caused a major stir. Fans still have horror stories about the logistical issues it created. Many encountered similar obstacles at Saturday’s game. Bomb-sniffing dogs and metal detectors were stationed at the stadium, and safety fencing sprouted around campus.
That was one of the drawbacks of the time-consuming cameos this Saturday, as fans vented at the tighter than normal security and long lines. Critics of both Trump and Walz highlighted the catcalls both drew from rowdy fans. But both campaigns wagered that the benefits outweighed the risks.
“So much of politics is tribal and college football is part of our tribal tradition,” said Robinson. “Being a part of it – and showing that you love it — is a signal that you’re part of the tribe.”
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