Trump's week in review: Lake Ontario renamed; IndyCar race on the National Mall

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter
Friday, August 28, 2026

The IndyCar driven by Alex Palou races past the U.S. Capitol Building to obtain pole position during a qualification round in Washington, DC, on August 22, 2026, on the eve of the Freedom Grand Prix. | ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images

1. Freedom 250 Grand Prix takes place as part of America 250 celebrations

The week kicked off with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, one of several events commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The IndyCar race took place Sunday on a makeshift track built on a 1.66-mile stretch of roadway in downtown Washington, D.C., marking the first time a street race had taken place on the National Mall and in the nation’s capital.

The track passed in front of several notable Washington, D.C., landmarks, including the U.S. Capitol, the National Air and Space Museum, the Washington Monument, the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum and the Sculpture Garden. Kyle Kirkwood won the race, beating second-place finisher Christian Lundgaard by just over three seconds.

Multiple members of the Trump administration attended the historic event. Ahead of the race, Trump took a lap around the track in the presidential limousine known as The Beast, and the president waved the green flag to kick off the race while Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum chanted “GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!”