College football fans who were tailgating at several universities this weekend were in for a surprise when planes carrying Election 2024 messages flew over their respective parking lots and stadiums.
On Saturday, the second week of the 2024 college football season, planes carrying banner messages specific for three universities flew across the sky, courtesy of the Democratic National Committee.
Starting four hours before each kickoff, airborne messages tying Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and running mate J.D. Vance to the controversial set of conservative policy proposals titled Project 2025 flew over the University of Michigan’s Michigan Stadium and Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, with a plane set to fly later in the day over University of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium. A fourth plane had been panned to fy over the University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium, but was grounded Saturday morning due to weather.
The messages, respectively, read as follows: “JD Vance <3 Ohio State + Project 2025”; “Bulldogs: Beat Trump, Sack Project 2025”; “Penn St: Beat Trump, Sack Project 2025”; “Jump Around! Beat Trump + Project 2025.”
The goal of the stunt was to remind college students and football fans that a vote for Trump is “the same as losing the game thanks to his dangerous and extreme Project 2025 plans,” says the campaign for Trump’s opponent, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
“It’s college football Saturday, and fans are ready to sack the competition and beat Project 2025, which would give Trump unprecedented power, allow Trump to ban abortion nationwide, allow the government to monitor pregnancies, and give tax giveaways for billionaires,” DNC Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “The DNC is reaching voters where they are in swing states across the country by flying Project 2025 banners over the Big House in Michigan, Sanford Stadium in Georgia, Beaver Stadium at Penn State, and Camp Randall Stadium in Wisconsin.
“These banners carry a message that resonates with fans and reminds them that the most important contest is still to come in November,” Rahman continued. “The contrast in this election couldn’t be clearer, and we have a winning playbook: Tackle Project 2025, make a goal-line stand and drive 99 yards the other way towards a more just and equal America for all.”
Also known as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, the Project 2025 initiative from the conservative Heritage Foundation, published in 2023, lays out a series of conservative and right-wing policies, and is billed as “a policy agenda, personnel, training and a 180-day playbook” to be implemented “on day one” by the next Republican president. The Harris campaign and several speakers came out in full swing against the proposal during August’s DNC and have since made the 900-page plan their top anti-GOP attack.
“You ever see a document that could kill a small animal and democracy at the same time? Here it is,” said Saturday Night Live comedian and DNC speaker Kenan Thompson when he took the stage during the third night of the convention this summer. During his onstage bit, he took calls from voters and informed them of their current rights that they stand to lose under Project 2025, including protections for LGBTQ+ Americans. “Right back to the Stone Age, I’m afraid so.”
Several other DNC speakers, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, also slammed the project.
The following day, Trump told Fox News he had “no idea” about Project 2025. “They know I have nothing to do with it,” he said on Fox & Friends. “A group of people got together, they drew up some conservative values, very conservative values. In some case perhaps they went over the line, perhaps they didn’t. I have no idea what Project 25 is.”
Trump spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, previously told The New York Times, “The truth is President Trump has said repeatedly Project 2025 has nothing to do with his campaign.”