In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as Donald Trump took a hard stance against immigrants during a campaign stop in the Rust Belt, his Deep South supporters were gearing up for his appearance at a University of Alabama football game. Earlier that day, he told crowds in Wisconsin that immigrants were threatening American culture, citing unverified claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. “You’re going to lose your culture,” he warned.
Back in Alabama, Crimson Tide fans eagerly awaited Trump’s visit for the game against Georgia, wearing buttons and stickers that played on his words with slogans like “They’re eating the Dawgs!” Chants of “Trump! Trump!” echoed through the campus in anticipation of his arrival.
Trump’s populist rhetoric resonates strongly with his supporters, particularly white conservatives who see his message as patriotic, embodied in the slogan “Make America Great Again.” Shane Walsh, a businessman from Austin, Texas, displayed a “eating the Dawgs” sign at his tailgate, explaining that while he may not admire Trump personally, he believes Trump is the kind of leader who can stand up to the “broken” Washington establishment.
Katie Yates, another supporter, brought a life-sized cutout of Trump to her family’s tent. She said she couldn’t understand why all Americans didn’t share her admiration for Trump, despite his divisive reputation.
At the game, Trump received a hero’s welcome when he was introduced in the second quarter. The crowd, almost entirely clad in crimson, cheered loudly as Trump pumped his fist in response. Though some students expressed opposition, College Democrats president Braden Vick noted a quieter majority opposed Trump’s visit, seeing it as a disruption to an otherwise important football event.
Trump attended as a guest of Ric Mayers Jr., a member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, along with Alabama senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, plus musicians Kid Rock and Hank Williams Jr. Security was notably heightened for the occasion, with metal detectors, bomb-sniffing dogs, and TSA agents providing a security perimeter around the stadium.
For many fans, cheering for Trump was just as natural as cheering for the Crimson Tide. As Walsh put it, “College football fans can get emotional and kooky about their team. And so can Trump supporters.” And while Trump’s tie was Georgia red, not Alabama crimson, it didn’t matter to his fans, who were there to support him as fervently as they did their team.
