One of the biggest names in NASCAR is speaking out in favor of immigration after President Donald Trump’s executive order halting the nation’s refugee program and banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. responded to a tweet from Gelar Budidarma, who described himself as a Muslim NASCAR fan in Indonesia:
Budidarma then apologized, although it’s not clear for what as the previous tweet appears to have been deleted, and said “just feel uncomfortable in situation right now.”
Earnhardt replied: “I would too! I can’t imagine how that feels.”
He did not mention Trump or the specifics of the executive order, which has sparked protests around the world.
Earnhardt, who last month was named the sport’s most popular driver for the 14th consecutive year, has said in the past that he is a Republican but that it doesn’t mean he toes the party line.
While he supported President George W. Bush, he also took his crew to see Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” in 2004.
“I like hearing both sides of the argument,” he told CBS News at the time.
He also supported removing the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina state Capitol and in other settings, including at NASCAR races.
“I think it’s offensive to an entire race,” he said in 2015, according to USA Today. “It does nothing for anybody to be there flying, so I don’t see any reason. It belongs in the history books and that’s about it.”
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