Trump Brings Johnny Manziel, Colt McCoy and Danny Amendola on the Texas Campaign Trail
President Donald Trump is bringing three of Texas college football's biggest names - Johnny Manziel, Colt McCoy and Danny Amendola - to his Corpus Christi and Lubbock appearances on Tuesday, in a pitch aimed at the young male voters who helped him win in 2024 but may not turn out when he is not on the ballot.
President Donald Trump is betting on college football to help Republicans win the 2026 midterms. According to an October 26 Axios report, former college football stars Johnny Manziel and Colt McCoy, alongside two-time Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola, will join Trump for campaign appearances in Lubbock and Corpus Christi on Tuesday, October 27.
The numbers behind the move, as Axios reported them, are stark. A Tufts University analysis cited by Axios found Trump won men under 30 by 14 points in 2024. A Harvard Youth Poll released last week, however, found Democrats leading Republicans by 26 percentage points among young men who say they will definitely vote in November - and Republicans are pouring millions into advertising during NFL and college football games to reach voters who might otherwise ignore traditional campaigns.
The Texas lineup covers three major fan bases. Manziel, 33, is the former Texas A&M quarterback and 2012 Heisman Trophy winner who remains one of the Aggies' most recognizable names. McCoy, 40, is the Texas Longhorns legend and former NFL quarterback whom Governor Greg Abbott appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in January 2026. Amendola, 40, is the former Texas Tech wide receiver and two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots - a Red Raiders connection aimed squarely at Trump's Lubbock stop.
Trump is scheduled to address supporters at the Port of Corpus Christi at 2 p.m., followed by remarks at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center at 6 p.m. Central. The visit is his fourth trip to Texas in two months, and he is campaigning for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who faces Democrat James Talarico in the November 3 election. Whether football star power translates into polling-station turnout is the question November 3 will answer.
