Trump sticks it to NFL again, honors NASCAR champ at White House
President Donald Trump hosted NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr. and his team on Monday to celebrate their title.
Truex is the latest champion to visit the Trump administration’s White House, following the likes of the Alabama Crimson Tide and the New England Patriots.
While it was mostly a celebratory and standard affair, to the surprise of virtually nobody, Trump couldn’t help but deal another stinging blow to the NFL while addressing Truex.
“One thing I love about NASCAR is they do indeed stand for the playing of the national anthem,” the president said. “They do indeed.”
That was a not-so-subtle dig at the NFL and its controversies surrounding players who protest during the national anthem. It’s a trend that started in 2016 with Colin Kaepernick and has steadily become a consuming topic when it comes to all things NFL. Some protesters knelt during the anthem, while others raised a fist or opted to not be present during the anthem.
Trump sparked widespread backlash from NFL players when he ripped anthem protesters during a September rally.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b—- off the field right now, he’s fired’?” Trump said at the time.
It’s a particularly pointed statement considering that numerous NASCAR owners have come out and said they strictly prohibit kneeling or otherwise protesting during the national anthem.
If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
…our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU'RE FIRED. Find something else to do!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
Of course, Trump didn’t spend the entire celebration trashing the NFL. He made a point to remark about Truex’s incredible season and, perhaps more importantly, his car.
“Martin, I have to say your car looks truly amazing,” Trump joked. “In fact, I want to get in that thing and just drive it right away. Do you mind?”
Look what we found at the White House!@MartinTruex_Jr is being honored for his 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship today. pic.twitter.com/IOOOkVfkSy
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 21, 2018
And while there were many lighthearted moments, Trump also made a point to recognize Truex’s longtime girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, for all the incredible work she’s done and the awareness she’s raised while her personal battle with ovarian cancer rages on.
Truex, for his part, seemed utterly grateful for the whole ordeal.
“What an honor to be here today,” Truex said during the event. “Thank you, Mr. President, for having us, for having our whole entire team to represent the sport of NASCAR. … Just really proud to be here today to represent the sport, to represent our millions of fans out there across the world.”
Truex won the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship while stockpiling some impressive stats. He and his team notched eight wins and led for more than 2,000 total laps.
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