Trump became the grand marshal at the race and even took a lap around the track in "The Beast," the presidential limousine.
.@POTUS in “the beast” about to lead the cars out of pit row at the #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/N6m3ievy9I
— Christopher Heath (@CHeathWFTV) February 16, 2020
WFTV′s Christopher Heath traveled with the president to the Daytona 500, where horsepower mixed with politics.
There was showmanship and sportsmanship on the track of the speedway as the president started the race and led the cars out of put row.
Entering the #DAYTONA500 with the @POTUS motorcade pic.twitter.com/iUmtKFPn8a
— Christopher Heath (@CHeathWFTV) February 16, 2020
Sunday’s race underscored the president’s own race for another term.
Rep. Michael Waltz, who represents Daytona Beach, joined Gov. Ron DeSantis in welcoming the president to the track.
“People were asking a couple months ago, ‘Is he going to go to Daytona?’ I thought to my myself: ‘OK, it’s 2020, he’s running for reelection. I bet you he goes to Daytona,’” DeSantis said.
Air Force One coming in for its flyover of the #Daytona500 pic.twitter.com/8iz0oWhKB2
— Christopher Heath (@CHeathWFTV) February 16, 2020
For Trump, this is about as friendly an environment as he could ask for, with NASCAR fans flying his flag and chanting, “Four more years.”
Recent polling has Trump more popular in Florida than the nation as a whole. However, heading into November, the Trump campaign is taking nothing for granted, which means coming to events like the Daytona 500 and reaching out to as many voters as possible.
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