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Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix 2024

Miami Grand Prix bans Trump fundraiser ahead of race

A fundraiser for Donald Trump has been told he cannot use a paddock suite to raise money for the 45th president's 2024 election campaign.

Miami
Article
To news overview © XPBimages

A prominent fundraiser for Donald Trump has been told he cannot use a paddock suite at the upcoming Miami Grand Prix to raise funds to support his presidential bid.

Steven Witkoff is a New York real estate developer and prominent supporter of President Trump - who is seeking to be elected as President of the United States for the second time in November's rematch with incumbent Joe Biden, after Biden won the 2020 election.

Witkoff had purchased a Paddock Club Rooftop Suite, but according to the Washington Post, was charging $250,000 a head for a ticket, having also recently testified in the civil case against the 45th president in New York, in which he was fined $350 million for financial fraud.

According to a Cease and Desist letter sent by Miami organisers, this "clearly violates" the terms of the suite, and informed Witkoff that if the claim was true, he would not be allowed to attend the race and a full refund issued to him.

The Post has further reported that Trump is set to attend next weekend's race in Miami, with the Secret Service said to be coordinating his schedule with the track, and that Witkoff described the claims as "fake" but would not further elaborate.

Trump would not be the first American president to attend an F1 race, with the 42nd President Bill Clinton attending the 2017 United States GP. Former First Lady Michelle Obama was present during the inaugural Miami race in 2022.

When he was still in office in 2020, Trump also attended the Daytona 500, and took ceremonial pace laps leading the field in his armoured vehicle dubbed 'The Beast.'

RacingNews365 has reached out to Donald Trump for comment.

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