Bubba Wallace responds to Trump: 'Even when its HATE from POTUS.. Love wins' | TheHill

NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace on Monday called for Americans to meet hate with love after President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump second-term plans remain a mystery to GOP Trump to hold outdoor rally in New Hampshire on Saturday Eighty-eight years of debt pieties MORE attacked the top racing league's only African American driver and falsely accused him of carrying out a "hoax" involving a noose found in his garage stall.

Trump earlier on Monday lashed out at NASCAR and Wallace in a tweet citing the racing circuit's decision to ban Confederate flags from its facilities and saying Wallace should apologize over a controversy involving a noose found in a garage he had been assigned to in Alabama last month.

An investigation by the FBI concluded that Wallace was not the target of a hate crime and that the noose had likely been in the garage for months.

Despite the FBI ruling on the matter, NASCAR has defended the seriousness of the situation, with Phelps emphasizing in late June that officials saw "a symbol of hate" that was only present in Wallace's garage.

After the FBI released its findings, Wallace said that he was "relieved,” noting that he’d "gladly take a little embarrassment over what the alternatives could have been." He also said that it didn’t take away from the “show of unity” NASCAR showed after the incident. 

Multiple NASCAR drivers voiced support for Wallace on Monday following Trump’s comments, with Tyler Reddick tweeted that NASCAR didn’t “need an apology.” 

Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamTrump second-term plans remain a mystery to GOP Russian bounties revive Trump-GOP foreign policy divide Jaime Harrison seeks to convince Democrats he can take down Lindsey Graham MORE (R-S.C.), a vocal Trump ally, also defended Wallace, saying it “made perfect sense” NASCAR was concerned about the sight of a noose in the driver’s garage