Democrats on Saturday appeared to use the college game between the University of Michigan and Ohio State as their latest appeal to younger voters.
The committee flew planes with banners targeting former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), over football stadiums at Michigan and Penn State universities. It was noted in the press release The plane is also scheduled to fly over the University of Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium later Saturday.
The performance, the statement said, was also an attempt to link the two Republicans to the conservative Project 2025 initiative as Democrats step up their attacks on the project's alleged ties to Trump, which the former president denies.
“We want to remind college students and football fans that because of Trump's dangerous and extreme Project 2025 plan, voting for Trump is the same as losing the game,” the DNC said in a statement.
According to the announcement, the banner reads, “JD VANCE [heart emoji] In Michigan it's “OHIO STATE + PROJECT 2025,” in Pennsylvania it's “PENN ST: BEAT TRUMP, SACK PROJECT 2025,” and in Wisconsin it's “JUMP AROUND! BEAT TRUMP + PROJECT 2025.”
Michigan and Ohio State have a bitter rivalry, and the Michigan flag appears to be a reference to the feud between the two schools and the fact that Vance graduated from Ohio State in 2009.
Banners were also placed in key battleground states that Vice President Harris may need to win to secure the presidency against President Trump. President Biden, who dropped out of the race in July, won those states in 2020, adding to the three states that Vice President Harris won in the 2016 presidential election.
“The Democratic National Convention is reaching out to voters in battleground states across the country by hanging Project 2025 banners in the Big House in Michigan, Beaver Stadium at Penn State and Badger Stadium in Wisconsin,” Avi Rahman, deputy communications director for the Democratic National Convention, said in a statement.
The Hill/Decision Desk average of national polls gives VP Harris a 3.8 point lead over President Trump, with her approval rating at 49.5 percent and the former president's approval rating at 45.7 percent.
The polling index also shows Harris leading Republican candidates in Michigan (48.3% to 46.8%) and Wisconsin (49.3% to 46.3%). Harris also has a narrow lead over Trump in Pennsylvania (48.3% to 47.7%), according to The Hill/DDHQ.
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign.
