Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday used booze to go to bat for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, a Trump-approved IndyCar street race in Washington, D.C., that’s caused travel headaches and concerns around the nation’s capital.
“I think is better, the view of the Capitol behind us. They can sell beer — by the way, this is the first time they’re going to sell beer on the mall of the Capitol,” Duffy told Fox News of the $13-14 beer cans for sale on the National Mall. (Note: Beer has been sold there before.)
Duffy is among the Trump officials defending Sunday’s main event which prompted the installation of a 1.7-mile circuit that will see drivers zipping past historic landmarks and around museums by the National Mall at up to 180 miles per hour.
Flights were suspended in the three hours leading up to the big race while area drivers were hit with a wave of road closures and parking restrictions.
“It’s putting additional stress on a stressful situation,” said Jason Cummins, who told The New York Times’ Karoun Demirjian that his hour-long commute from Baltimore to D.C. doubled on Friday morning.
Trump, who took part in an honorary lap and waved the green flag to start the race, had a hand in bringing the event closer to reality when he signed an executive order in January. He later used White House grounds to promote it, declaring it’ll “be like no other race ever” last month.
Like Duffy’s recently-released “road trip” reality show and the UFC fight on the South Lawn, a nonprofit took on organizing duties for the IndyCar event, which is framed as a celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
The race has attracted sponsorships from big companies that do business with the federal government, fueling ethics concerns given Trump world’s proximity to the event, as Politico’s Samuel Larreal has pointed out.
Some preservationists have also raised concerns about the race, with Mary Okin — assistant director of The Living New Deal — writing a letter to the National Park Service last month proposing ways to protect murals inside the Cohen Federal Building from potential damage.
On Saturday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum — who, like Duffy, has been promoting the race heavily on social media — addressed questions about manhole covers along the temporary track, telling Newsmax they were “welded down” so they don’t go flying as cars zip over them.