President Donald Trump posted Friday afternoon a video of an IndyCar race occurring in Washington, D.C., to his self-owned Truth Social platform.
The 47-second video shows a street race on the National Mall with Trump flying in Marine One and waving the green flag for the race. The video appears to show U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy waving the checkered flag and a car modeled after Josef Newgarden, along with his likeness in the cockpit, winning the race.
With the IndyCar season beginning March 1, the Trump administration is looking to add to the 2026 schedule with a race in D.C., and the president made a further push with his post. It would be one of several events the administration is planning to commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States. The organization — titled Freedom 250 — will also hold a UFC event June 14 at the White House.
“The grand prix is an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate our nation’s proud racing pedigree, showcase the beauty of the national mall, and generate millions in critical tourism revenue for the capital,” a U.S. Department of Transportation spokesperson told IndyStar earlier Friday.
“The Trump administration is determined to make D.C. great again, and this race is another example of that commitment. We’ll keep working with our partners in Congress to outline the positive impacts it will have on the District and correct the record.”
Before the logistics of a race are finalized with IndyCar, Congress must pass a bill allowing the race to be held on Capitol grounds. There’s currently a ban on advertising on Capitol grounds, which IndyCar vehicles would be in violation of.
In a statement to IndyStar on Friday morning, IndyCar said, “We continue to work on new events for the NTT IndyCar Series. Major East Coast markets — like Washington D.C. and several other large metro destinations — are priorities for us.”
Though, IndyCar CEO Mark Miles told IndyStar in September that such an event has “obvious logistical and other considerations,” and that he didn’t think it was ever feasible. IndyStar understands that the door has not closed on such an opportunity.
IndyCar, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Congress all must align for a race to occur at the National Mall, but it now appears clear that this is a priority for President Trump.
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at@z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: President Trump posts video supporting IndyCar race in Washington D.C.
Reporting by Zion Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
