Sports
Why NASCAR star Bubba Wallace isn't making political statements this year after bashing Trump in 2020
EXCLUSIVE: NASCAR star Bubba Wallace was once accused of bringing politics into NASCAR. But in this year’s election, he won’t go near it.
In July 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the George Floyd riots. Wallace made multiple posts on X (then known as Twitter) condemning former President Donald Trump for promoting hate.
Wallace then alleged that he’d been told he was “bringing politics into NASCAR,” in response to his condemnation for Trump. He hasn’t made any such posts at all regarding the 2024 election, or any political subject of such a matter via public statements.
“Investing my time into that seems like a waste of time,” Wallace told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I was definitely more vocal then because our sport was in desperate need of change.”
Bubba Wallace looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 20, 2024 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Now in 2024, Wallace only has one message to send to his fans about the beliefs he wants to share with them.
“Go to McDonald’s,” Wallace said when asked by Fox News Digital what beliefs he would like to express to his fans in this election year. “Buy a meal, get the 10-piece chicken nugget, fries, Dr. Pepper and then round up that money, all of that money goes to [Ronald McDonald House Charities].”
For Wallace, the sudden shift in priorities comes after four years as an ascendant star in NASCAR. But also milestone moments for him in building a family. In 2021 he joined Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team, serving as the first driver in the car to sport Jordan’s famous No. 23. In 2022, Wallace tied his own record as the highest-finishing Black driver in the Dayton 500.
In that time, he also got engaged and married to his wife, Amanda Carter. And they just had their first child, a son named Becks Hayden Wallace on Sept. 29.
He admitted his priorities have changed, and credited becoming a father for it. He also claims that he is now looking beyond “which side” someone is on.
“My beliefs stand strong in just being good humans to other people is the best way to go about life. No matter what side you’re on, no matter what color you are, at the end of the day we’re in this world together and we have to make it work together. And I think I’ve said that from day one and that hasn’t changed and nor will it change.”
Wallace has abandoned the act of making his political beliefs known on social media. He even went as far as to delete all social media apps on his phone altogether. His feed on X nowadays is just a curated mix of racing photos, promotional posts and photos of family.
One of the biggest reasons Wallace abandoned that habit from 2020 is because of culture shifts in social media during that time. Wallace said there is overwhelming “negativity” on the platforms he would use to get any messages of his beliefs out.
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Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 McDonald’s Toyota, pits during the NASCAR Cup Series 65th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2023 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
“Social media nowadays is just a way for people to hide behind a screen and voice their opinions on things they don’t really know about,” Wallace said.
The main social media platform that Wallace used during his 2020 criticisms against Trump was Twitter. In the four years since then, the platform has undergone a transformation under the ownership of tech mogul Elon Musk. Musk’s purchasing of the platform in October 2022 brought about sweeping staff turnover, a complete restructuring of how the platform verifies accounts, and the rebrand to X, among other changes. Some have called the sweeping changes a renaissance for free speech. But others have criticized Musk and the changes, including Democrat lawmakers.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote a letter to Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), requesting an investigation into election-related misinformation being published by the Grok AI chatbot on X. California governor Greg Newsome signed the country’s toughest law banning digitally altered political “deepfakes” on Sept. 17, after Musk for shared an AI-generated parody video mocking Kamala Harris’ candidacy for president.
Meanwhile, another social media platform has had an active hand in pushing leftist misinformation since 2020 as well. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted in August that senior Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to “censor” some COVID-19 content during the pandemic and vowed that the social media giant would push back if it faced such demands again.
Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 McDonald’s Toyota, and Justin Fields, quarterback of the Chicago Bears pose for photos at the drivers meeting at the Chicago Stock Exchange Trading Room at the Art Institute of Chicago prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 on July 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
And as a result, Wallace doesn’t believe the platforms are worth his time anymore, especially now that he’s a dad.
“It’s just too much negativity that it’s going to take years and years and years to get rid of, and we don’t have time for that,” Wallace said of the current culture of social media. “Now, with being a dad and trying to be the best that I can be here for my race team and my team here, that’s where I’m investing my energy so that’s all you can really ask for.”
For Wallace, the impact of becoming a father has been a transformative experience for him in such a short amount of time. Since his son was born, Wallace has two-top ten finishes in the three races that he’s competed in. He’s also looking at life through a lense he wasn’t looking through before.
“You have your kid at home and a full family to provide for now, so it’s crazy to go through all that,” Wallace said.
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Sports
Conor McGregor’s long-awaited Octagon return cut short by apparent knee injury seconds into UFC 329
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Nearly five years after his last walk to the Octagon, Conor McGregor made his long-awaited UFC return Saturday night against fellow MMA star Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
McGregor opened aggressively, attempting a running kick before throwing a head kick moments later. He appeared to slip on both tries. Holloway quickly capitalized after the second, taking top position and landing a right hand before McGregor was able to work his way back to his feet.
Moments later, McGregor hit the canvas again after trying to throw a kick with his right leg, which appeared to buckle underneath him.
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Conor McGregor of Ireland participates in the walkout before facing Max Holloway of the United States in their welterweight bout during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
The official inside the Octagon waved off the fight moments later, giving Holloway a TKO victory.
During the broadcast, UFC CEO Dana White pointed to a first-round replay that appeared to show the moment McGregor suffered the injury. The apparent injury was not to the same leg McGregor broke during his 2021 fight against Dustin Poirier, which led to a lengthy absence from the Octagon.
The loss extended McGregor’s long winless drought, with his last UFC victory coming by first-round TKO against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in January 2020.
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McGregor earned a unanimous decision over Holloway in a featherweight clash in 2013, when neither was an MMA megastar. In the blink of an eye, McGregor’s star rose.
Conor McGregor and Max Holloway face off during the UFC 329 ceremonial weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 10, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
On Wednesday, he admitted he got caught up in his own stardom after winning UFC belts in two weight classes and becoming one of the biggest names in combat sports.
“I launched an Irish whiskey,” McGregor said. “I didn’t drink heavily, if at all, at that time of my life. I was an athlete at the top of my game. Next thing you know, thousands upon thousands of bottles (are) in my garage.
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“‘Sell this, Conor.’ OK, I’d leave my property with two bottles under my arm, and that was it. I was caught. And I wasn’t used to it. And that’s it. God gave me these lessons. That’s it. I was trapped and caught, and it is what it is.”
Conor McGregor jumps into the air for a kick as he fights Max Holloway in a welterweight bout at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (John Locher/AP)
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Easier said than done, perhaps, as the controversial former champion has been embroiled in multiple controversies and legal issues over the past several years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS — The door opened for Arthur Kaluma to show his worth for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League on Saturday night.
He did so in a big way.
Kaluma had 34 points and five rebounds during the Lakers’ 91-70 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas & Mack Center.
He was 11 for 16 from the field and six for 10 from three-point range.
With Lakers rookie guard Cameron Carr unable to play because of a right thumb contusion, Kaluma took over the scoring role. Carr, the 24th pick in the NBA draft, is averaging 17 points per game.
“Cam doesn’t play tonight, so he gets a little bit more minutes, gets a couple more touches,” said Lakers Summer League coach Ty Abbott about Kaluma. “But he’s done a really good job of making the most of it when he doesn’t have actions run for him. So the way that he’s been able to stay ready, find windows for himself has kept him in a rhythm. So, on a night like tonight, when we can run some actions for him, he knocks them down and just plays out of his mind. It was great.”
Kaluma said he was “a little nervous” but his three-point shooting said otherwise.
“When [teammate] Jon Elmore came down and he pitched it back to me for a three … I just knew when it came off my hand it was cash,” Kaluma said. “So I said, ‘Yeah, I’m hot.’ It went on from there.”
Late in the fourth quarter, Kaluma lined up a three-pointer, setting his feet and scoring from 29 feet out. He flashed three fingers and smiled. His teammates on the bench stood and cheered, as did the fans.
“We have such a great group of guys this year at Summer League and going through this it’s hard to get that camaraderie with a group,” Kaluma said. “But I feel like everybody wants to see everybody succeed and I felt that tonight. I’m not going to lie to you. They tell me to shoot the ball. I passed up a couple of shots and they were mad at me the other day.”
Kaluma played for the South Bay Lakers in the G League last season. He averaged 14.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and shot 55% from the field, 37% from three-point range.
“The G can get grimey, you know what I’m saying? It’s a time where everybody is trying to fight for a position and there is a certain hunger that you have to have in order to be successful in the G,” Kaluma said. “And I feel like that drive that I had my first year in it pushed me into this summer to really get better and work on my game and come here and have the opportunity to perform.”
Kaluma wasn’t alone in helping the Lakers improve to 2-0 in Summer League play.
Adou Thiero ran the court, took a lob pass from Chris Mañon and threw down a two-handed dunk. He had another solid outing with 15 points and four rebounds. He shot just four for 12 from the field, but was a plus-15.
But the night belonged to Kaluma.
“I pride myself on the defensive end,” he said. “I know I got hot offensively, but the shot was just falling today, you know what I’m saying? My game is three-and-D. I lock-up on defense and I know I can hit open shots. I just got hot today and I’m not going to try to let it get to my head.”
Sports
Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship
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There are good days on the golf course, and then there is what Haeran Ryu just did on Saturday.
Ryu, 25, recorded the lowest round in LPGA major history on Saturday with an 11-under 60 at the Evian Championship. With the South Korean golfer’s historic round, she holds a three-stroke lead.
Ryu’s round comes just two weeks after winning her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. On the 18th hole, Ryu left a 30-foot eagle putt a few inches short, and instead settled for a birdie.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts on the 18th green after the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
She said after the round that she had no idea what she had done until she counted up her scorecard.
“But after the putt and I counted my score with my caddie,” she said. “Oh my God, it’s 11-under par today. It was so amazing. My caddie says, ‘Yep.’ I’m so happy right now.”
If Ryu had made the eagle putt on the 18th hole, she would have been just the second player to shoot a 59 in LPGA history.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Her 60 broke the record for the lowest round in an LPGA major by one shot. Leona Maguire and Jeungeun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated as an LPGA major in 2013.
The lowest round in a men’s major is 62, which is shared by four players — Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Lottie Woad of England interact after their round on the 18th green during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Ryu hopes her historic third round can help propel her to a second major win in three weeks.
“That is amazing, amazing dream,” Ryu said. “So I just want that one to come true, but we have one more day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Lakers’ Arthur Kaluma erupts for 34 points in breakout Summer League performance
