President Donald Trump has — for some reason — made it one of his life missions to defend the legacy of the Confederacy. This Monday, he complained on Twitter about NASCAR’s decision to ban the display of the Confederate flag on the premises of their race tracks. In the same rant, he also singled out NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace for criticism. He suggested that Wallace, who is the racing league’s only black driver, should apologize to NASCAR for the supposed “hoax” surrounding a noose-shaped rope that was found in his car’s garage stall, but Wallace didn’t even make the initial report about the rope, let alone make it up. In a follow-up statement, Wallace responded to the president, and he insisted that it’s important to meet hate — even from the president — with love.
The president taking the side of the noose is so on brand I'm surprised it's not a promoted tweet. https://t.co/m8mYZSzHO1
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) July 6, 2020
After an investigation, the rope in Wallace’s car’s stall was revealed to have already been there before the driver was assigned to the station. In other words, it was not targeting Wallace specifically, by all appearances. Wallace commented:
‘To the next generation and little ones following my foot steps… Your words and actions will always be held to a higher standard than others. You have to be prepared for that. You don’t learn these things in school. You learn them from trials and tribulations, the ups and downs this crazy world provides. You will always have people testing you. Seeing if they can knock you off your pedestal. I encourage you to keep your head held high and walk proudly on the path you have chosen.’
The president is saying the decision of NASCAR to ban the confederate flag from its races is hurting ratings. He is standing up for the confederate flag and also says he'll veto a bill that could lead to the removal of the names of confederate generals from US military bases. https://t.co/F0ipiWzzlk
— Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) July 6, 2020
He continued, directly addressing the harassment from the president:
‘Last thing, always deal with the hate being thrown at you with LOVE. Love over hate every day. Love should come naturally to as people are TAUGHT to hate. Even when it’s hate from the POTUS.. Love wins.’
Check out his full statement below:
To the next generation and little ones following my foot steps..#LoveWins pic.twitter.com/tVaV3pkdLe
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) July 6, 2020
Other drivers shared their support for Wallace in the wake of the president’s commentary. Tyler Reddick, for instance, tweeted in response to the president, in reference to how the NASCAR community came together to support Wallace:
‘We did what was right and we will do just fine without your support.’
Reddick later retweeted a message from sports reporter Bob Pockrass, who shared:
‘There is nothing to apologize for when: –Taking a perceived threat seriously –People show support for one another –Making policy to be more inclusive & more welcoming –Doing what you feel is right, regardless of any perceived business consequences’
Check out Twitter’s response to Wallace below:
Featured Image via Screenshot