Sen. Lindsey Graham defended Bubba Wallace after the NASCAR driver was criticized by President Trump on Monday.
Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and Trump ally, voiced support for the only black NASCAR driver hours after the president questioned whether Wallace had apologized for the controversy in which a rope that resembled a noose was discovered in his car stall at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.
“I don’t think Bubba Wallace has anything to apologize for,” Graham said on Fox News Radio with Brian Kilmeade. “You saw the best in NASCAR. When there was a chance that it was a threat against Bubba Wallace, [the drivers] 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.”
A noose-shaped pull-down rope was found in Wallace’s car stall last month, which prompted a federal law enforcement investigation to determine whether a hate crime had been committed. The FBI and Justice Department concluded that Wallace “was not the target of a hate crime” and that the rope had been hanging in the stall since as early as October.
The president took aim at Wallace on Twitter Monday morning.
“Has [Bubba Wallace] 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?” Trump tweeted.
The president claimed this “hoax,” combined with NASCAR’s decision to ban the Confederate flag, “has caused lowest ratings EVER!” in another Twitter post Monday.
Graham noted that NASCAR’s decision to ban the Confederate flag, a move that was supported by Wallace, was a good idea for the sport.
“They’re trying to grow the sport,” the senator said. “If you’re in business, the Confederate flag is not a good way to grow your business.”
After initially insisting it was a “straight-up noose,” Wallace expressed relief that he was not the victim of a hate crime following the conclusion of the federal investigation.
“It’s been an emotional few days,” Wallace said in a statement. “First off, I want to say how relieved I am that the investigation revealed that this wasn’t what we feared it was. I want to thank my team, NASCAR and the FBI for acting swiftly and treating this as a real threat. I think we’ll gladly take a little embarrassment over what the alternatives could have been.”
