President Donald Trump calls out Bubba Wallace, NASCAR in tweet

President Donald Trump called out driver  Bubba Wallace on Monday, alleging that a noose found in his garage at Talladega Superspeedway last month was a hoax and questioning NASCAR's decision to ban the Confederate flag from the sport. 

Trump tweeted: "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!"

Wallace responded with a statement Monday afternoon in which he wrote: "Love over hate every day. Love should come naturally as people are TAUGHT to hate. Even when it's HATE from the POTUS."

Tyler Reddick, who drives the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, responded that he and other drivers don't need an apology. 

"We don't need an apology. We did what was right and we will do just fine without your support," he tweeted, before later deleting the tweet.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended the president's decision to wade into the Wallace case, saying in an interview on Fox News Channel that "The president's merely pointing out that we've got to let facts come out before we jump to judgment."

In a statement, NASCAR said it is "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."

Andrew Murstein, co-owner of the Richard Petty Motorsports team that fields Wallace's car, called Trump's tweet "a late, misinformed, and factually incorrect statement.'' He also said it was unwarranted and cited the photo NASCAR released of the noose. 

"A picture is worth a thousand words,'' Murstein said in a statement. "Bubba has reacted in a truthful, professional, level headed manner. The NASCAR community and those in the know all stand by him.''

Wallace led the push for NASCAR to ban Confederate symbols at tracks. Two weeks later, the noose was found at the first race some fans were allowed to attend since the shutdown. On the same day, a plane pulling a banner of the Confederate flag that read "Defund NASCAR'' was circling the track and protesters outside the speedway displayed their flags.

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, currently sidelined with the coronavirus, also came to Wallace's defense Monday, posting an image of Wallace's No. 43 that had been used by drivers in an earlier #IStandWithBubba campaign. 

LeBron James was among those athletes outside of NASCAR who backed Wallace on social media, with James stating he stands with Wallace.

Wallace, NASCAR's only Black full-time driver, was joined by all 39 other drivers and their crews on June 22 in a march down pit road, as they pushed his No. 43 to the front of the line in the moments before the race.

An FBI investigation determined that Wallace was not the victim of a hate crime and that the pull rope fashioned like a noose had been on a garage door at the speedway since as early as October, NASCAR announced on June 23.

A day later, Wallace said that he was thankful that the noose wasn't intended for him but that he doesn't think the ensuing investigation was an overreaction.

NASCAR ratings on Fox have increased during the sport's return from a shutdown for the coronavirus pandemic, according to Michael Mulvihill, Fox Sports' executive vice president/head of strategy.

"NASCAR viewership on Fox networks is up +8% since returning from its pandemic hiatus on May 17," he tweeted.

In addition, NASCAR said ratings on NBC for Sunday's race at Indianapolis were up 46% from last year's event there. 

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) said in an interview with Fox News Radio that Wallace's reaction to the noose "made perfect sense" and commended NASCAR for supporting him.

"You saw the best in NASCAR. When there was a chance that it was a threat against Bubba Wallace, they all rallied to Bubba's side. So I would be looking to celebrate that kind of attitude more than being worried about it being a hoax," Graham said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.