Some traveled to Youngstown and Greenville, others to Dalton and Bullhead City. Some made their fortunes on the mound, others in football, the ring and the front seat of fast cars. Recently, they have all been recruited by Donald Trump.
In the run-up to the midterm elections, Trump has made a late dash across the country, flanked on the campaign trail by a curious collection of sports stars.
Among them? College football legend Johnny Manziel, boxers Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Floyd Mayweather, golfer Jacob Bridgeman, baseball star Roger Clemens, ex-NFL coach Jon Gruden, and race car drivers Danica Patrick and Richard Petty.
It is a familiar strategy but one the president has leaned on time and again as election day nears. Over a three-and-a-half-week blitz across nearly a dozen states, Trump has called athlete after athlete to help rally support for Republican candidates.
And yet, with only days to go, the GOP is staring down the barrel: current forecasts predict the Democrats will take both the House of Representatives and the Senate, crippling Trump's presidency. One Republican previously warned the midterms will be a 'f***ing bloodbath.'
So the Daily Mail spoke to political strategists and campaigners and researchers to ask why Trump enjoys having athletes by his side – and to find out whether their backing could really swing any votes.
Donald Trump has been surrounded by athletes such as Mike Tyson ahead of the midterms
Former race car driver Danica Patrick is pictured alongside the president on the campaign trail
Trump's has made repeated references to athletes' physiques - such as Jaxson Dart's legs
For several, the answer is unequivocal. 'They will have no impact at all,' said Kevin Madden, who worked as a senior strategist on three presidential campaigns.
Mark Harvey, whose book Celebrity Influence examined the power of superstars on politics, agreed. 'There's almost no evidence to suggest that these athletes or celebrities or whoever make any difference,' he said.
One of the more puzzling themes of recent times has been Trump's repeated references to the physique of athletes – such as Jaxson Dart's 'tree trunk' legs and the muscular 'a**' of ex-college football player-turned senator Jon Husted – Harvey wondered whether Trump simply feels 'virile' being around them.
'If you look at the pattern of the kinds of endorsers he's gotten since he was elected, they tend to be masculine,' he added. But as another source put it: 'You can't win a political race on testosterone only.'
Instead, insiders argue that, for voters, the 'endorphin rush' that comes with attending a rally will inevitably subside before 'reality sets in again.'
'This entire campaign environment is being shaped by economic concerns... about the rising costs of everything from gas to food and housing,' Madden explained.
As renowned political pollster David Paleologos pointed out: 'After a rally, you still have to pay a lot of money for a gallon of gas [or] a pound of beef. That doesn't go away.'
In this climate, when nearly 50 percent of Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities such as healthcare, rent and food, Paleologos questions the wisdom of Trump, a billionaire, surrounding himself with other glamorous celebrities.
NASCAR legend Richard Petty speaks during a rally in Greenville, North Carolina
Former football stars Danny Amendola and Johnny Manziel step off Air Force One in Texas
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'It may have a negative effect,' he said. Or, as Harvey said: 'What is going to drive my vote? Is it going to be high gas prices, or what some athlete says?'
It is not beyond celebrities to help shine a light on a particular issue. 'Whether or not they can persuade people is another [question]' Harvey added.
Back in 2008, when Barack Obama was tussling for the Democratic nomination, research co-authored by Craig Garthwaite argued that Oprah Winfrey's endorsement gave him a boost of roughly 1 million votes.
But that race was different – the policy gap between candidates was wafer thin, meaning voters were eyeing 'other character or personality or credibility-based reasons to separate them,' Garthwaite told the Daily Mail. 'Celebrity is a powerful thing.'
These midterms, on the other hand, are taking place in a polarized country where red and blue are divided by vast cultural chasms. Which begs the question: what material difference does Trump believe Tyson and Co can have? Particularly when their input can be, limited. For a rally in Dalton, Trump brought along ex-Georgia and NFL running back Todd Gurley.
The president called him a 'handsome guy... a fantastic guy' and reeled off some of Gurley's rushing records. 'I don't want to tackle him. He looks good,' Trump added before inviting the 32-year-old up on stage.
Gurley kept it brief, thanking Trump, 80, for taking him on Air Force One and allowing him into the White House. He thanked the state of Georgia for their support and finished with the rallying cry: 'Go Dawgs!'
Afterwards, the former running back admitted he isn't a particular fan of Trump. 'I never really thought too much into it,' he said. 'I just wanted to go for myself and my experience.'
Ex-NFL running back Todd Gurley walks off stage after speaking at a campaign rally in Dalton
Trump's use of stars such as Evander Holyfield is said to be part of a plot to target male voters
Another athlete told the Daily Mail it was a 'surreal... once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to fly on the president's jet and tour the Oval Office. But how does that help Republican candidates in tight races?
Bringing sports stars to rallies 'creates excitement... and can add to attendance, which of course adds to fundraising,' explained one veteran political insider. '[Trump] thrives on attention, he's very good at getting attention... he likes as much hoopla as possible.'
Paleologos insisted this is a 'poll-driven' ploy to target male voters; it is not unusual for a staffer to be tasked with devising the strategy for celebrity appearances.
Both Manziel and Danny Amendola, for instance, played college football in Texas before joining the president in Corpus Christi. It's an easy crowd-pleaser and, for less well-known candidates in lesser-covered markets, the appeal of local celebrities is obvious. Extra eyes on their rallies. Extra clicks. Maybe even extra credibility by association.
But? 'When you're Donald Trump,' Harvey asked. 'How many celebrities do you need to stack up next to you to get anybody to pay attention?'
In a statement to the Daily Mail, a White House spokesperson said: 'President Trump is a president for all Americans.
'This is precisely why athletes, musicians, and other locally and nationally renowned figures have joined his ever-expanding coalition to ensure he can continue building on the progress he has already delivered for our country.'
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