President Donald Trump on Monday tweeted that the noose found in the Talladega Superspeedway garage stall belonging to Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. and the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team was a “HOAX” and questioned if Wallace had apologized yet, implying he played a role in the incident.
It was not a hoax, and neither Wallace nor anyone on the No. 43 team had anything to do with it, according to both the FBI and NASCAR.
Afterward, a handful of people in the NASCAR world publicly expressed their support for Wallace, the only Black driver in the Cup Series, including Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty Motorsports co-owner Andrew Murstein. The governing body also issued a statement backing Wallace and its commitment to inclusivity.
But Wallace received support from others outside of NASCAR as well, like LeBron James and Magic Johnson.
LeBron has been a vocal supporter of Wallace, and when the 26-year-old driver shared his response to Trump’s tweet later on Monday — a message about “Love over hate every day” aimed at the next generation — the Los Angeles Lakers star encouraged him too.
Right HERE too with you!! As well as the next generation who follows in my foot steps! Kings and Queens https://t.co/6rO5cex3ed
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 6, 2020
And late Monday night, Magic Johnson expressed his support on Twitter for Wallace as well.
.@BubbaWallace keep your head up, you’re doing a great job! We are all proud of you, cheering for you, and we got your back!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 7, 2020
Appreciate you sir!👊🏾 https://t.co/EgdUehrTY3
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) July 7, 2020
In a statement Monday afternoon, NASCAR did not mention Trump or the tweet specifically. But it said:
“We are proud to have Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR family and we commend his courage and leadership. NASCAR continues to stand tall with Bubba, our competitors and everyone who makes our sport welcoming and inclusive for all racing fans.”
The next NASCAR Cup Series race is Sunday at Kentucky Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1).
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