The First Couple arrived at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday to attend to Daytona 500, NASCAR’s most prestigious race.
Donald Trump came in hot with a dramatic, low Air Force One flyover of the Daytona International Speedway, where around 100,000 fans are gathered for the annual race. The flyover was aired live.
He took his campaign to the race to fire up voters in the swing state of Florida as he takes a lap around the race track in his presidential limousine ‘The Beast’ along with some of the other iconic presidential vehicles.
Trump is not the first Republican president to visit the Daytona 500, but he is the first to be named Grand Marshal of the event by NASCAR, and will iconically tell drivers to ‘start their engines.’
After the lap around the race track, Trump delivered a pre-race Grand Marshal Speech to the crowd and was joined on-stage by first lady Melania Trump.
Donald Trump and first lady Melania arrived for the Daytona 500 NASCAR race in Daytona Beach, Florida
Trump did a dramatic low flyover of Air Force One over the Daytona International Speedway ahead of his appearance at the Daytona 500 NASCAR race Sunday
Many of Trump’s conservative base is made up of NASCAR fans
The couple walk before the start of the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday
Trump made a short four-minute Grand Marshal Speech, and was joined on-stage by Melania, who smiled an clapped throughout the remarks
Trump arrived with his motorcade at Daytona International Speedway, and those camping out for the race could be seen flying his 2020 reelection flags next to American, Confederate and Blue Lives Matter flags
‘The Daytona 500 is a legendary display of roaring engines, soaring spirits and the American skill, speed and power that we’ve been hearing about for so many years. The tens of thousands of patriots here today have come for the fast cars and the world-class motor sports. But NASCAR fans, never forget, that no matter who wins the race, what matters most is God, family and country,’ he said to a cheering stadium.
At several points during the remarks, Melania smiled and clapped with the crowd.
The president spent much of his four-minute speech honoring gold star families, newly enlisted service members, those who currently serve in the military and veterans.
From the Victory Lane, Trump said drivers would compete to stand where he is as the winner will be presented with the Harley J. Earl Trophy, which he said was ‘pure American glory.’
The president was traveling from West Palm Beach, Florida where he stays at his resort Mar-a-Lago, to Daytona, where the annual race takes place
About 100,000 people show up for the annual Daytona 500 race. The NASCAR Daytona 500 racetrack is seen through the windows of Air Force One (right)
Trump is the first president ever to be named the grand marshal of the event, and he will tell drivers to ‘start your engines’
The president also took a lap around the racetrack with his motorcade in ‘The Beast’ and some of his other recognizable presidential vehicles in tow
President Donald Trump’s motorcade leads the field of cars on a lap around Daytona International Speedway before the NASCAR event
As the first ever president to be named grand marshal of the Daytona 500 by NASCAR, Trump took a lap at the race in his presidential limousine ‘The Beast’ and deliver the line for drivers to ‘start your engines’
Trump gives a thumbs up from the presidential limousine before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
A race fan displays a President Donald Trump shirt before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
Crew members make adjustments to Joe Nemecheck’s car sponsored by Patriots PAC of America during practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race
The ramp up in his nationwide reelection effort comes after his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial.
The president took a literal victory lap by parading ‘The Beast’ around the race track as he appeared before a crowd of about 100,000 NASCAR fans.
The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s most prestigious race.’Getting ready to go to the Daytona 500. Will be GREAT!’ Trump tweeted Sunday morning.
Many people in Trump’s conservative base are NASCAR fans, and Trump’s campaign is taking advantage of the president’s appearance to fly an aerial banner near the speedway and run a television ad during the Fox broadcast of the race.
‘NASCAR fans are patriots who support the president in huge numbers, so we definitely wanted to communicate directly with them about Keeping America Great during the Great American Race,’ 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement.
The 30-second ad says that America has ‘raced’ under President Trump’s leadership.
‘Millions of new jobs, rising wages, record-low unemployment, securing our border, protecting our country and respecting our veterans,’ are listed as some of those accomplishments.
The ad ends with the narrator pledging, ‘The best is yet to come.’
Previous presidents who have attended NASCAR events at the speedway include Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. But Trump is the first president to ever be named Grand Marshal.
Florida is one of a handful of U.S. states that swing between Democrats and Republicans in presidential elections.
Trump won the state in his race against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, earning just 1.2 per cent more votes than her.
Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, gives the instructions ‘gentlemen, start your engines,’ before the start of the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway
Trump with First Lady Melania Trump stand for the national anthem before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump prepare to give the command ‘start your engines’ prior to the NASCAR Cup Series 62nd Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
Trump and Melania are seen standing on the race track as the president tells the drivers to ‘start your engines’
Servicemen are seen front row among the crowd members Sunday at the racing event in Florida
President Donald Trump gives a speech alongside wife Melania Trump in Victory Lane prior to the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
Trump spent much of his remarks at the race honoring current service members, veterans and gold star families, but also said it is a ‘pure American glory’ to win the Daytona 500
Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, speaks before the start of the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway
Trump watches alongside Melania from the 500 Club suites prior to the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
Trump and first lady Melania also consider Florida, where he owns several golf courses and a home, their primary residence.
The president plans a fundraising swing and political rallies in western states later this week.
While the president was en route to Daytona International Speedway, he tweeted about his coveted border wall.
He said a new report was ‘fake’ that said part of the wall fell over due to poor construction, and instead excused the malfunction with the weather conditions that made the ground too wet for the newly poured concrete foundation.
‘Last week the Fake News said that a section of our powerful, under construction, Southern Border Wall ‘fell over’, trying to make it sound terrible, except the reason was that the concrete foundation was just poured & soaking wet when big winds kicked in. Quickly fixed ‘forever,” Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon.
The president previewed that he would be attending the race, and he fired up his supporters with a visit Sunday to NASCAR’s most prestigious race
Trump tweeted on his way to the race about the border wall, claiming a ‘fake news’ report said a section of his coveted border wall fell down due to poor construction, but he said it was because of the wet ground and fresh concrete
Ricky Stenhouse Jr, right, goes through a security checkpoint before the drivers meeting
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump board Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida as they travel to attend the Daytona 500
The president and Melania departed (Air Force One leaving Daytona) shortly after Trump served as the grand marshal for the Daytona 500