President Trump expected to attend Daytona 500
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an airspace restriction around the Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, indicating Trump will be attending NASCAR’s season-opening Daytona 500.
Retired Marine Johnny Joey Jones, who is also a former NASCAR employee, said President Trump’s expected presence at the season-opening Daytona 500 is “very intuitive.”
Speaking on “Fox & Friends” on Thursday, Jones, a Fox News contributor, agreed with host Steve Doocy who said the president is a brilliant marketer who knows that his core audience is going to be tuned in to the race.
“I helped work for and run a program at a nonprofit where we took wounded veterans to NASCAR races. We did that for about two years,” Jones said on Thursday, adding that he also worked with a NASCAR team.
“So it is something that I grew up being a fan of,” he continued.
“And what I learned about NASCAR is that it’s this perfect merge of blue-collar America that works hard and builds a race car, takes to a dirt track on Saturday, and all this technology, and tech companies and corporate America and white-collar America that support the race and advertise there and bring their company there, and so when you talk about NASCAR, you’ve got as diverse a crowd as this country is.”
He went on to say that “a lot of people don’t respect that or understand it so I think it’s very intuitive of the president to want to go there and have a presence.”
TRUMP TO ATTEND THE DAYTONA 500, REPORT SAYS
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an airspace restriction around the Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, indicating Trump will be attending the Daytona 500. A spokesperson for the neighboring Daytona International Airport confirmed to WESH 2 News that Trump is scheduled to visit.
The U.S. Secret Service, the agency responsible for the president’s security, also tweeted out that there will be a “No Drone Zone” in place during the race. The White House has not commented on the reports, but Trump is scheduled to be staying at his home in Palm Beach this weekend.
Jones said that he expects Trump will get a warm welcome at the race.
“When you go to a NASCAR race and they fire 40 engines, the whole place rumbles,” he said. “You see Air Force One fly overhead or the president show up, you’re going to be cheering and enjoying it.”
“And you’re going to be really proud that this sport, that a lot of people ignore and that a lot of people enjoy, is getting recognition from the highest office in the country and the greatest leader in the world,” he continued.
Former NASCAR CEO Brian France endorsed Trump during the 2016 presidential election, when he won Florida with 48.6 percent of the vote.
“The sport really embraces a love for this country,” Jones said on Thursday.
He added, “They really love the people that fight for this country. The military is ingrained into every race, especially the Daytona 500 so I’m so proud the president is going.”
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The Daytona 500 airs on Sunday on FOX.
Fox News’ Gary Gastelu and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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