NASCAR president denounces ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ chant: ‘We’re not happy about that’
AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR repudiated its association with “Let’s go, Brandon,” the political rallying cry being used on social media and at various sporting events as an insult directed at President Joe Biden.
Originating in NASCAR last month, the phrase “Let’s go, Brandon” quickly became code around the country for “[Expletive] Joe Biden.” And NASCAR president Steve Phelps isn’t thrilled about it, calling it an “unfortunate situation” during his annual state of the sport press conference ahead of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series championship race.
At Talladega Superspeedway in early October, driver Brandon Brown won his first second-tier Xfinity Series race. During his on-track interview immediately afterward, the crowd in the grandstands was chanting. Although NBC Sports initially said the fans were chanting, “Let’s go, Brandon!” it was explicitly clear they were actually chanting, “[Expletive] Joe Biden!”
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“I feel for Brandon,” Phelps said. “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. We obviously have and we’ve always had, as a sport, tremendous respect for the office of the president — no matter who is sitting. …
“Do we like the fact that it kind of started with NASCAR and then is gaining ground elsewhere? No, we’re not happy about that. But we will continue to make sure that we have respect for the office of the president.”