Trump, on the heels of a divisive Mount Rushmore speech delivered on sacred land stolen from the Sioux, took to Twitter on Monday morning and asserted that Wallace deceived fellow NASCAR drivers and company officials into showing support for him after a noose was spotted in his No. 43 garage stall last month.
“That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!” he said on Monday, referring to NASCAR’s June banning of the Confederate flag from all affiliated events and locations.
Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX? That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2020
While the Federal Bureau of Investigation concluded that “no federal crime was committed” regarding the placement of the noose, Trump’s assertion of the incident being a hoax remains unsubstantiated.
Furthermore, Wallace has repeatedly stated that it was a crew member - not him - who spotted the noose and alerted officials.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany commented on the tweet during a Monday briefing, claiming to reporters that the social media post was “an aggregate to stand against the rush to judgment, to call something a hate crime before the facts are out.”
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany refuses to state whether President Trump is for or against the Confederate flag after he criticized NASCAR for banning the flag. pic.twitter.com/Lsamn8igDl
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) July 6, 2020
Many netizens brought up the fact that Trump has failed to apologize for his calls for the Central Park Five - five Black and Latino teenagers - to be given the death penalty in 1989. According to TIME, Trump spent around $85,000 on full-page ads in local papers, entitled “Bring Back the Death Penalty. Bring Back Our Police!”
Even though it has been proven that the teens were wrongfully convicted and coerced into confessing to the rape and assault of a white female jogger, Trump has refused to apologize for his own rush to judgment. He did, on the other hand, double down on his stance in an October 2016 statement to CNN, stating that the teens “admitted they were guilty” and that the case should have never been settled during their 2014 exoneration, which was accompanied by a $41 million payout.
30 Years ago Trump called for the hanging of 5 black men known as the Central Park 5. They turned out to be innocent. Trump never apologized.
— Mrs. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) July 6, 2020
If anyone needs to apologize it's Donald Trump to all of Black America, not Bubba Wallace and not NASCAR!
Raise your hand if you agree!
Trump is treating NASCAR's Bubba Wallace like he treated the Central Park 5. After they were exonerated by DNA, Trump still refused to apologize to them, and reiterated his wish to have them executed. Losing in every poll, the racism of Trump is being inflamed by his desperation.
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) July 6, 2020
It was not a hoax. The NASCAR president reported it and NASCAR posted the photo of the noose. And you never apologized to the Central Park 5. Nor did you apologize for lying about President Obama's birth certificate.https://t.co/HOFGKp75Xx
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) July 6, 2020
Even after cleared with DNA evidence he said they still belonged in prison.
— KathiInCali (@🏠) (@KathiInCali) July 6, 2020
HYPOCRITAL
— MURRAY 🗽 (@murray_nyc) July 6, 2020
Where are Trump’s apologies to all the people, organizations and countries he has lied about over the years and made false accusations?
He accused the “central park 5” of heinous crimes & never apologized.
And he never aplogized for doubting where Obama was born.
That’s not all, however. Other Twitter users brought up a litany of more recent statements and actions by Trump for which he has not apologized.
Have you apologized to @Kaepernick7 for being an unconstitutional racist asshole?
— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) July 6, 2020
Trump Should apologize to President Obama about the birther incident. He should apologize to all African-American players in the NFL. Trump should apologize for all his misogynistic predator comments to women. Last but not least he should apologize to the central park 5.
— adrienne (@adriennerourke) July 6, 2020
Did you ever apologize to the Central Park 5? Or to Obama for lying about his birth certificate? Or to the people you screwed over with Trump University? Or for calling Mexicans "murders & rapists"? Or for calling White Supremacists at Charlottesville "fine people"?
— Eric Johnsen (@ericjdesigns) July 6, 2020
Hm? Nothing? https://t.co/F85u5qX45o
There are so many things Trump should apologize for so for him to ask Bubba is a slap in the face of America.
— Joe Davis (@ByJoeDavis) July 6, 2020
The Central Park 5 never got an apology.
The families of the 130,000 dead haven't got an apology.
The numerous women he's sexually assaulted haven't gotten an apology
Even Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) appeared to disagree with the US president and claimed the moment of unity between drivers after the noose incident displayed “the best in NASCAR,” according to reporter Igor Bobic.
Wallace has since responded to the US president’s comments via Twitter, expressing that “people are TAUGHT to hate.”
To the next generation and little ones following my foot steps..#LoveWins pic.twitter.com/tVaV3pkdLe
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) July 6, 2020
Other NASCAR drivers, such as Tyler Reddick, have doubled down on their support for racial equality following the FBI statement on the matter. “We don’t need an apology. We did what was right and we will do just fine without your support,” Reddick said in a since-deleted tweet quoting Trump’s posting.
