NASCAR on Friday condemned the “Let’s go, Brandon” rallying cry that’s being used as an insult toward President Biden.
The president of the motorsports group, Steve Phelps, said Friday that NASCAR does not want to be associated with either side of the political aisle, The Associated Press reported.
Phelps also noted that NASCAR will pursue legal action against any use of its trademarks appearing with the slogan. His comments come after former baseball star Lenny Dkystra on Wednesday posted a photo on Twitter of a man wearing a “Let’s go, Brandon” shirt alongside NASCAR’s color bars.
“We will pursue whoever (is using logos) and get that stuff,” Phelps told the AP. “That’s not OK. It’s not OK that you’re using our trademarks illegally, regardless of whether we agree with what the position is.”
The phrase originated at a NASCAR race in Alabama last month when the crowd started chanting “F— Joe Biden” while winner Brandon Brown was being interviewed by NBC Sports reporter Kelli Stavast, according to the AP. Stavast, who was wearing a headset and may not have been able to hear the crowd, incorrectly told Brown that they were chanting, “Let’s go, Brandon.”
“It’s an unfortunate situation and I feel for Brandon, I feel for Kelli,” Phelps told the news outlet. “I think unfortunately it speaks to the state of where we are as a country. We do not want to associate ourselves with politics, the left or the right.”
NASCAR for a long time has allowed political candidates to use its races as campaign stops, the AP notes. Former President Trump was the honorary starter at the Daytona 500 in February 2020, months before the presidential election.
The Trump campaign team last week started offering “Let’s go, Brandon” shirts in exchange for a $45 donation or more.