FACT CHECK: Did NASCAR Fine A Driver For Disrespecting The National Anthem?
A post shared on social media purports a NASCAR driver was fined for protesting the National Anthem.
NASCAR fines Rajah Caruth $100K for disrespecting our National Anthem, telling him, “we don’t do that here”. It’s official, I love NASCAR! If he does it again, disqualify him!! #TikTok https://t.co/qxXfqIqFU1
— Donna Holt (@DonnaHo10419758) April 19, 2024
Verdict: False
This claim is inaccurate.
Fact Check:
NASCAR driver Erik Jones broke his back during Talladega Superspeedway’s Geico 500 event, Fox News reported. Jones suffered a broken lower vertebra and mentioned pain in his back on his radio right after the crash.
A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, alleges that Rajah Caruth was fined for standing not honoring the National Anthem before a race. The video shows a man in a shirt with an American flag design reacting to the claim. A photo of driver Rajah Caruth standing with his hand behind his back next to a man with a hat over his heart is shown in the background.
The caption reads, “NASCAR fines Rajah Caruth $100K for disrespecting our National Anthem, telling him, “we don’t do that here”. It’s official, I love NASCAR! If he does it again, disqualify him!!”
The claim is inaccurate. It appears to stem from an X account called America’s Last Line of Defense. The account features a satire disclaimer in their bio that reads, “The flagship of the ALLOD network of trollery. Nothing on this page is real.” (RELATED: Does Video Show Explosion At Francis Scott Key Bridge?)
Furthermore, there is no announcement on the NASCAR website or on a record of NASCAR penalties. Rajah Caruth has not mentioned any fines related to the alleged incident on his X account.
NASCAR did remove guidelines that demanded team members must stand for the National Anthem, according to NBC. Kirk Price, a NASCAR official, knelt in protest at an event after the guidelines were removed.
This is not the first time misinformation has been shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a claim the Royal Family admitted to using a surrogate.
