HAIL MARY

Desperate MAGA Floods Purple Battleground With Out-of-State Agitators

None of the famous faces flocking to polling places actually reside in the state.

New Hampshire residents are getting a last-minute celebrity push from MAGA.

The battleground state has rapper Nicki Minaj, former New England Patriots icon Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski, NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, MAGA boxing champions Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson, and more on the ground for Election Day—none of whom call the state home.

The Florida-based Gronk was spotted in the state signing jerseys and posing for photos outside a tent for Turning Point USA, the ultraconservative organization founded by the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Mayweather was also spotted taking photos with fans outside a polling place, according to NH News Now.

Gaines wrote in a post on X, tagging Turning Point, that she was “making the rounds” in the state. “Just got to my fourth polling location. Voters are turning out. 🇺🇸 VOTE!” she wrote.

Former Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola also posed for grinning photos outside a polling place at a New Hampshire high school, according to Boston’s WCVB 5.

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A spokesperson for Turning Point told CBS News that Gronk, at least, was not an official part of the organization and had only stopped by their booth. He posed with Republican gubernatorial incumbent Kelly Ayotte and signed a campaign sign for Henry Giasson, a Republican running for state representative. The Daily Beast has reached out to Turning Point USA and a representative for the star for comment.

CNN reported on Turning Point USA’s efforts in the swing state last month. In July, its chief operating officer, Tyler Bowyer, told the outlet, “We’re putting the biggest ground force that’s ever been put on the ground in New Hampshire for Republicans.” He added, “We’ve already got dozens and dozens of full-time people on the ground there, so that’s huge. New Hampshire turnout-wise is like the size of a medium-sized to large-sized city. So, I like our chances.”

Gaines, who rose to prominence as a conservative activist after campaigning against the inclusion of transgender women in female-category athletics, told her followers that Democrats were “thirsty for your blood” on Election Day, minutes after posting about her New Hampshire visit.

Rapper Nicki Minaj, who campaigned with Trump last week to support MAGA Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan, was also spotted prowling around a polling place in Derry by a reporter with NBC10 Boston.

Minaj has grown close with members of the administration since she attended TurningPoint USA’s AmericaFest late last year as celebrity speaker. Recently, Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, joked that Minaj’s fervent loyalty to Trump could score her a job as the next press secretary.

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Mayweather, for his part, campaigned with Trump, whom he’s called “the best president we’ve ever had.” And Tyson, who predicted that Trump would “win” the midterms despite not being on the ballot, was spotted signing boxing gloves at a Manchester polling place.

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Eboni Boykin-PattersonEntertainment Reporter

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