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• Race in DC: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, along with thousands of spectators, watched Kyle Kirkwood win the Indycar Freedom 250 Grand Prix race in downtown Washington, DC, today. The race capped a series of marquee events celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday.
• Tariff row: Meanwhile, the US administration faces an escalation in trade tensions with Canada. Trump is holding firm on imposing 50% tariffs and revived a past attack on the longtime ally in his first comments since talks broke down last week.
• Meeting details: A source told CNN that Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and close adviser, met recently with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who could become House speaker if Democrats win the majority in November. They discussed how they might collaborate on key issues, the source said.
Crews begin to take down fencing around racetrack
After the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix wrapped, work crews quickly began the process of taking down some of the extensive fencing lining the racetrack.
Cans, water bottles and other discarded trash were also seen left behind on the stands as attendees made their way out of the area.
Crews must take down 10,000-pound, meter-high walls — which protected both racers and spectators — and viewing areas along the track.
While the build-out of the track began at the end of July, the takedown process is estimated to stretch into the second week of September, according to one DC official.
Attracting thousands of spectators on a warm summer day, the event ended without any major problems. DC officials reported 13 heat-related incidents and one hospital transport due to the heat. There were no arrests, the local police department reported.
Kyle Kirkwood wins IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix
Kyle Kirkwood, a 27-year-old from Florida, has won the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix for Andretti Global.
Kirkwood waved to the cheering crowd after taking the checkered flag and did a celebratory donut spin. He screamed, “Lets go!” after getting out of his car and was embraced by the Andretti Global team.
“You can’t even put it into words,” Kirkwood said in an interview to Fox while describing what it feels like to be an American driver winning a race in the nation’s capital. “I’m almost in tears here.”
Kirkwood said it was “a hard race, 147 laps. I’m out of breath right now trying to get words to you if I’m being honest.”
“It felt good to dominate out there, not gonna lie. That was a really good moment,” he said when asked how it felt to have President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump watch him win. “I’m a fellow Florida guy; I live up in Jupiter so it’s cool to see him down here.”
The president, alongside the first lady, clapped and pointed at Kirkwood after he won.
“What an incredible place to do it. You know if you can’t win it at the (Indy) 500 this is definitely the place to win. … What a dream come true,” Kirkwood said.
This post has been updated with comments from Kirkwood.
Fans flock to catch a glimpse of race's final stretch
Fluorescent orange foam earbuds dotted the clusters of race fans standing close to the track in downtown Washington, DC, as they tried to protect their hearing from the roaring engines zipping past.
At the bottom of the stairs leading to a skybridge crossing Pennsylvania Avenue, just above the pit lane, a crowd of spectators craned their necks to catch the final stretch of the historic Freedom 250 Grand Prix race.
One man was on a video call, bringing the person on the other side of his phone up close to the race. To his left, an attendee juggled three water bottles and lemonade as the sun beat down on the street-turned-racetrack.
Trump and first lady seen mingling with high-profile guests and officials
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump mingled with high-profile guests during today’s IndyCar race in Washington, DC.
Trump took pictures with Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham and chatted with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. House Speaker Mike Johnson was also spotted with the president today.
Other Cabinet members seen with the president today include Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
Melania Trump, and her father took a picture with IndyCar owner Roger Penske. UFC CEO Dana White spoke with the first lady and her father afterward.
Drivers crash at circuit's last turn
Two drivers, David Malukas and Sting Ray Robb, collided at turn 7, the last turn in the 1.7-mile circuit, during today’s IndyCar race.
Commentators sitting right in front of the crash described the moment as a “thunderous impact into the concrete barrier.”
Multiple tow trucks and a medical car rushed to the scene as race cars zoomed by.
First lady credits her father for her interest in racing, promotes foster care initiative
First lady Melania Trump credited her father for her interest in racing, saying Sunday that he taught her about “the mechanics, and also the speed, and I loved it every minute of it.”
Trump, who grew up attending Formula 1 races with her father in Europe, also used the interview to promote her main policy focus this term: supporting foster children and those transitioning out of the system.
The first lady has teamed up with IndyCar and Fox Corporation to launch $2 million in scholarships for young adults transitioning out of foster care, unveiled at a White House Rose Garden announcement Thursday alongside President Donald Trump.
“They need to have the same opportunity as other children,” she said Sunday, adding that it’s “incredible what we are doing with that initiative.”
She pushed for governors to support her “Fostering the Future Accounts” to “support foster children so once they’re aging out of foster care, they could have financial support and be independent,” she said.
DC residents can hear the race from blocks away
As the compact four-wheel cars drive dozens of loops around the National Mall, the sounds of the twists and turns can be heard from nearly a mile away.
Six blocks from the Capitol, DC residents can make out the whir of wheels and engines, along with the noise of a helicopter hovering over the space.
Trump waves green flag and race begins
President Donald Trump, alongside first lady Melania Trump, waved the green flag and the race has begun.
Cars will push 180 miles per hour in the first-of-its-kind race in Washington, DC.
The slender, angular four-wheel cars will zip past the US Capitol, make sharp turns around the National Archives, and pass the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum for a total of 147 laps (equal to a 250-mile race to honor the semi-quincentennial).
Smithsonian museums offer IndyCar crowds another attraction
There’s a big perk for crowds attending this weekend’s IndyCar event: access to the nearby Smithsonian museums along the National Mall, which are otherwise free, but closed off today to people without a Freedom 250 Grand Prix event ticket.
The sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art on Sunday was selling concessions — including beer pitchers — for far less than the concession stations. The air conditioned museums also provide a break from the 80-degree-Fahrenheit heat, full bathrooms and food options for fans who are willing to break away and possibly lose their standing-room-only spot along the track’s barricades.
The National Gallery of Art, which is next to the race’s pit lane, said it conducted an “extensive vibration study” and applied a set of safety measures to protect guests and its art collections from being damaged by the race.
Rush of tourists irks DC Metro riders: "I just gotta get off this damn thing"
Underneath the streets-turned-racetrack in Washington, DC, where speedsters will push 180 mph around the National Mall, tourists and locals crowded aboard the sleek, stainless-steel trains that make up the city’s underground Metro system.
Aboard the Washington Metro Red Line, weekend warriors heading into work on Sunday sat clutching their lunch bags and laptops, wincing as scores of noisy tourists clad in red, white and blue shuffled aboard each stop.
“I just gotta get off this damn thing,” 38-year-old Lena, a Starbucks barista, said as the train approached Union Station.
Inside the transit hub, travelers crowded the platforms, peppering Metro workers with questions about how to reach the race’s start and finish line, just west of the US Capitol.
“See that big pointy thing in the sky?” one Metro employee asked an excited but confused family of five, pointing to the 20-foot Statue of Freedom atop the US Capitol.
“Yes!” the three children said proudly.
The Metro employee smiled, all but yelling over the din of travelers, saying, “Just walk toward that till the cops tell you you can’t no more!”
Flyovers take place at Freedom 250 Grand Prix as DC airport is under ground stop
Several branches of the US military are participating in flyovers over the nation’s capital as the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is underway in Washington, DC.
The Qatari-gifted Air Force One participated in a flyover alongside fighter jets as the president’s limousine rode around the track.
The flyovers have disrupted air travel in the Washington metropolitan area, with Reagan National Airport under a ground stop through 1:15 p.m. ET. Days ago, the airport advised of a three-hour airspace closure due to flyovers, and airlines adjusted their flight schedules in advance.
Trump’s advice to IndyCar drivers: Don’t think about being safe
President Donald Trump told Fox in an interview shortly before he made his way around the track that he wished the drivers who are taking part in today’s race “good luck.”
“I don’t want to say be safe because it’s sort of a negative thought,” Trump said. “They don’t want to be thinking about that, because if they do, then generally speaking, you’re not going to win.”
Trump said IndyCar owner Roger Penske told him he’s been trying to hold a race in Washington, DC, for 20 years, “and when he came to see Trump it got done in about 15 minutes.”
He added that officials had previously considered having the track go around the US Capitol, “but this turned out to be a better track, so now we see the Capitol.”
“It’s turned out to be, I think, bigger and better, and the weather is beautiful,” Trump said. “This is as nice a day as I’ve seen in Washington in a long time.”
Asked what he is most looking forward to at today’s event, Trump said, “I want everyone to be safe, and I want the people to have a good time.”
Trump takes a lap on IndyCar track in "The Beast"
President Donald Trump is riding in the presidential motorcade, “The Beast,” around the IndyCar track in Washington, DC.
Attendees mostly cheered, although there were some boos, as the presidential limousine cruised along the track, which spans less than 1.7 miles and seven turns.
Trump supporter attending IndyCar event says she is there to “show our patriotism”
Dianna Fisher, of Orlando, Florida, said she happened to be in Washington, DC, for a conference and that she is attending today’s IndyCar event to show her patriotism.
“I love President Trump. I’m a MAGA girl through and through,” she told CNN’s Brian Todd.
Fisher wore a white half-zip with “45” and “47” stitched on it, a nod to Trump’s terms as the 45th and 47th president.
Asked if she came to see the president today, Fisher said, “That would always be a bonus and a benefit, but no. Just to show our patriotism and be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime-250-year event,” she said. “If that doesn’t make your heart warm then you’re just not a patriot.”
Remember: Today’s event is happening after a series of events hosted by Freedom 250, a Trump-backed nonprofit tasked with celebrating the nation’s semi-quincentennial. While the Grand Prix is working with Freedom250, it did not receive any financial backing from it.
Museums work to protect key documents and artworks from racecar vibrations
Museums housing some of the country’s most prized artifacts and works of art are preparing for racecars to zip by in Sunday afternoon’s Grand Prix.
CNN has reported that the National Gallery of Art, which sits beside the race’s pit lane, conducted an “extensive vibration study” and applied a set of safety measures accordingly to protect guests and collections amid the high speeds of cars.
The race will also pass by the neighboring National Archives Museum, which holds the nation’s founding documents.
President and first lady arrive at IndyCar event
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived at the IndyCar race in downtown Washington, DC, on Sunday afternoon.
The president and Roger Penske, the owner of IndyCar, are greeting drivers and their crews.
Donald Trump is set to do a lap on the racetrack in the presidential limousine, the Beast.
Members of the Trump family are in attendance, including Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina; Eric and Lara Trump; and some of the president’s grandchildren.
Members of Trump’s Cabinet in attendance include Attorney General Todd Blanche, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
Trump was a key figure for arranging the weekend event in the nation’s capital.
Spectators arriving for the IndyCar event tell CNN they have not encountered long lines
CNN teams are on the ground by main checkpoints for today’s IndyCar event in Washington, DC.
Spectators arriving said they have not experienced long lines.
“We didn’t have a long line,” said Maria Papi, 28, a Spanish native who lives in the Washington, DC, area. She added that it took her about a minute to pass through the checkpoint and that the process was quick and smooth.
Papi told CNN’s Brian Todd she was looking forward to the event: “It’s amazing … In DC, we have a lot of situations, a lot of events that are really very nice, and this is one of them, and I’m so proud to be here and to experience this.”
Another attendee, Doug Mailat, described the process of entering the event as “very efficient” and that he also did not experience a long line.
He said staff prepared attendees for security screening as they approached the entrance, allowing the line to move quickly.
Kushner, Jeffries discuss ways White House and Democrats can collaborate
Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and close adviser, met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who could become House speaker if Democrats recapture the majority in November, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.
The pair gathered privately in New York in recent weeks to discuss how they may collaborate on key issues, such as immigration, housing and the cost of living, the source said.
During the meeting, which was first reported by the New York Times, Kushner suggested that Jeffries should also meet with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on the meeting.
Jeffries has emerged as the frontrunner to become House Speaker if Democrats win the majority in the midterms, a possibility that the party sees as likely due to Trump’s sinking approval ratings amid the Iran war and economic concerns that have lately been underscored by the nation’s escalating debt.
“Throughout this Congress, Republicans have adopted a my-way-or-the-highway approach to governing that has failed the American people,” Jeffries said in a statement provided to CNN. “The American people want bold change and that’s what House Democrats will deliver. In every conversation that we have with the Trump administration, we will continue to make it explicitly clear that the affordability crisis is not a hoax and nothing short of transformational policy change is acceptable.”
During a Fox News interview on Sunday, current Speaker Mike Johnson downplayed the notion that the meeting signaled an acknowledgement by President Donald Trump that he might have to work with a Democratic majority during the next two years.
“I’m telling you, we’re going to defy history and hold this majority,” Johnson said, explaining that Republicans believe they have to target 19 battleground seats in order to keep their razor thin margin over Democrats.
Kushner, he said, “is a smart guy and he hedges his bets.” But, the GOP leader added, the president’s son-in-law is not involved in “day-to-day” White House operations.
Jeffries has emerged as a vocal opponent of Trump in his second term, frequently bashing the president in television interviews and press conferences. He has not ruled out potentially impeaching Trump if House Democrats are in the majority next year, though he has repeatedly insisted the party is focused on lowering costs for Americans that he argues have been driven up by the president’s policies.
Presidential impersonators dressed as IndyCar drivers pose for photos with attendees
Impersonators portraying Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, dressed in IndyCar racing suits, posed today for photos with spectators on the National Mall.
Here's what DC looked like on the first day of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix
A look at the first day of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix
Thousands of spectators poured into the center of Washington, DC, yesterday to catch the first day of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, the two-day street racing event in which revving engines will echo around the nearby US Capitol and the city’s neoclassic national museums.
