President Donald Trump on Monday targeted NASCAR’s Darrell “Bubba” Wallace, a prominent black driver, falsely claiming on Twitter that the sport’s recent anti-racist stance lowered his television ratings.
“@BubbaWallace apologized to all those great NASCAR drivers and officers who came to his aid, stood by him and were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to discover that it was all just another HOAX?” Trump tweeted. “That Flag decision has caused the lowest ratings EVER!”
The president’s tweet comes as he expressed his view of race at the center of his re-election campaign after the protests and a growing national discussion of race after George Floyd’s death in police custody.
NASCAR drivers have teamed up to support Wallace. NASCAR Cup driver Tyler Reddick tweeted in response to Trump: “We don’t need an apology.”
“We did the right thing and we will do it right without your support,” he continued. The tweet was later removed.
Courtney Weber, spokeswoman for Richard Petty Motorsports and Wallace, said the team is aware of Trump’s tweet.
“Wallace has extensively exhausted the issue through a multitude of interviews in recent weeks. Clearly there is nothing more to say,” Weber said.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Fox News said Trump’s tweet was part of a “broader point” about “trial rush.”
“The president simply points out that we have to let the facts come to light before we rush to court,” he said.
Speaking to Fox News Radio, Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C. and a prominent Trump ally, he said he did not believe Wallace “had anything to apologize for.”
“You saw the best in NASCAR,” he said. “When there was a chance it was a threat against Bubba Wallace, they all joined Bubba’s side. So I would look to celebrate that kind of attitude rather than worry that it is a hoax.”
Since NASCAR announced a ban on the Confederate flag last month, the sport has seen a rise in television ratings. Overnight ratings after the June sports race at Martinsville, which immediately followed the ban announcement, were up 104 percent compared to a comparable 2019 race.
Talladega’s race in late June, where the rope incident Trump mentioned occurred, ranked as the most-watched Monday contest in years. NASCAR has also benefited from being one of the few live events on television, as most other sports remain dormant in the US due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Prior to Talladega, a bow-shaped door pull rope was found in Wallace’s assigned garage, raising questions about whether he had intentionally placed himself there in response to his outspokenness in support of banning the Confederate flag at events. NASCAR. Fellow NASCAR drivers marched past their car in a show of drive afterward. The FBI investigated the incident and ruled out a hate crime, citing video evidence showing that the rope was in place months before it was assigned to Wallace. NASCAR released a photo of the rope to dispel the idea that it was a hoax.
“I was relieved like many others to know it was not directed at me,” Wallace told Craig Melvin on NBC’s “TODAY” last month. “But it’s still frustrating knowing that people are always going to test you and always try to discredit you and that’s what I’m trying to understand now.”
As a politician, Trump’s history with NASCAR dates back to his early presidential campaign when he won the endorsement of the sport’s top leaders. At this year’s Daytona 500, Trump took the presidential limousine on the track as a pace car before the race began. And in this weekend’s Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis, a driver began racing in a fully equipped car with the pro-Trump brand. It crashed a few laps in the race.
This weekend, Trump made a long speech on defending the statues from being removed or knocked down and has increasingly criticized protesters.
Recent tweets have also brought the president into trouble, such as when he promoted and later deleted a video showing an apparent Trump supporter yelling “white power.”
The White House said it did not hear the comment when it posted.
