Planes Fly Over College Football Stadiums Targeting Trump and Project 2025
In a bold move designed to catch the attention of college students and football fans alike, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) orchestrated a unique stunt during the second week of the 2024 college football season. Planes carrying political messages aimed directly at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, flew over multiple universities, including the University of Michigan, Penn State, and the University of Wisconsin. The aerial banners specifically targeted Trump’s connection to a controversial set of conservative proposals known as Project 2025.
This surprising tactic was designed to remind voters about the implications of supporting Trump’s candidacy and the potential dangers of Project 2025, which is backed by conservative groups. As college football games serve as massive gatherings of young, politically active crowds, the DNC’s stunt sought to amplify their message in a setting where eyes were already on the sky and the field.
The DNC’s Aerial Message: What Happened at the Stadiums?
On Saturday, just hours before the kickoff of several high-profile college football games, planes circled the skies above tailgating fans and stadiums at key universities. At the University of Michigan’s Michigan Stadium, Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, and later in the day at the University of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium, fans saw bold banners with messages like:
- “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 messages were clearly intended to tie Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance to the controversial Project 2025, positioning the plan as a key issue in the upcoming election. A fourth plane was scheduled to fly over the University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium but was grounded due to weather conditions.
What is Project 2025?
Project 2025, a set of conservative policy proposals published in 2023 by the Heritage Foundation, is framed as a detailed playbook for the next Republican president. The plan includes a series of right-wing policies, touching on everything from limiting government oversight to reshaping social policies. The initiative outlines a strategy for implementing these proposals within the first 180 days of a potential Trump presidency.
Some of the most controversial aspects of Project 2025, according to the DNC, include proposals to:
- Ban abortion nationwide
- Increase government surveillance, including monitoring pregnancies
- Offer significant tax breaks to billionaires
- Roll back protections for LGBTQ+ rights
Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has centered her campaign around warning voters about the dangers of Project 2025, labeling it as an extremist and dangerous agenda that threatens fundamental rights. Harris and other Democratic leaders, including Senator Cory Booker and vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz, have repeatedly criticized the proposal, making it a focal point of their opposition to the Trump-Vance ticket.
The Strategy Behind the Stunt: Engaging College Students and Football Fans
Why did the DNC choose college football games as the platform for this political stunt? The reasoning is simple: these games are large-scale events that draw thousands of passionate fans, many of whom fall into key voter demographics. Young, college-aged voters, in particular, are a highly sought-after group, and engaging them during a major social event increases the likelihood of spreading the message.
Abhi Rahman, the DNC’s Deputy Communications Director, explained the strategy behind the aerial stunt in a statement:
“It’s college football Saturday, and fans are ready to sack the competition and beat Project 2025, which would give Trump unprecedented power… 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.”
Rahman emphasized that the goal was to make the public aware of how supporting Trump and Project 2025 could lead to the erosion of critical rights and freedoms, comparing it to losing a crucial football game. The banners urged fans to “sack” Project 2025 in the same way a team would aim to defeat its opponent on the field.
Trump’s Response to Project 2025 Criticism
When confronted about Project 2025, Trump has been dismissive, distancing himself from the initiative despite its conservative underpinnings. In a Fox News interview, Trump stated:
“They know I have nothing to do with it. 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’s spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, also told The New York Times that the president has repeatedly stated that Project 2025 is unrelated to his campaign, even though the plan is largely seen as aligning with many of his policy positions.
Project 2025: A Political Flashpoint
The controversy surrounding Project 2025 has escalated since the proposal was first published. During the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August 2024, several speakers made it clear that the plan would be a central issue in their campaign against Trump. Saturday Night Live comedian and DNC speaker Kenan Thompson delivered one of the most memorable critiques, joking, “You ever see a document that could kill a small animal and democracy at the same time? Here it is.” Thompson warned voters about the possible rollback of rights under Project 2025, including protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, equating it to taking the country back to the “Stone Age.”
With ongoing criticism and the DNC’s full-throated opposition, Project 2025 has become a flashpoint in the 2024 election, representing the stark contrast between the Democratic and Republican visions for the future.
The Stakes of the 2024 Election
As the DNC continues to raise awareness about Project 2025, the strategy of reaching voters through unconventional means, like football games, demonstrates the lengths to which the party is willing to go to emphasize what they believe is at stake in the upcoming election. According to Rahman, “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.”
The outcome of the election will determine whether Project 2025 becomes a reality, and the DNC’s efforts to mobilize voters—whether through aerial messages or policy debates—are aimed at ensuring that voters understand the implications of their choices.
