Donald Trump arrives at the Miami Grand Prix days after having his $250,000

Release time：2024-05-07 00:45:53 Source：Culture Capsule news portal

Donald Trump has arrived at the Miami Grand Prix - days after having a $250,000-a-ticket fundraiser at the race shut down by officials.

The former president and Republican candidate was in Florida on Sunday and joined a star-studded crowd of celebrities as Formula One descended on the city once again.

He returned to his Florida HQ on Friday night after another week in New York at his Stormy Daniels hush money trial.

Trump, who also attended LIV Golf's event in Miami last month, was pictured in McLaren's garage and was deep in conversation with the team's CEO Zak Brown. 

A statement from McLaren read: 'McLaren is a non-political organization however we recognize and respect the office of President of the United States so when the request was made to visit our garage on race day we accepted alongside the president of the FIA and the CEO’s of Liberty Media and Formula 1.

Donald Trump has arrived at the Miami Grand Prix and was flanked by heavy security

It comes days after he had a $250,000-a-ticket fundraiser at the race shut down by officials

Trump speaks with McLaren CEO Zak Brown as he visits the McLaren garage before the race

Trump gestured to his supporters in the crowd as he prepared to watch the racing begin

Trump returned to his Florida HQ on Friday night after another week at his Stormy Daniels trial

The Republican candidate inspected the cars to be driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

'We were honored that McLaren Racing was chosen as the representative of F1 which gave us the opportunity to showcase the world class engineering that we bring to motorsport.'

Trump's presence at the race comes after organizers halted his plans for a fundraiser because he violated the terms of his hospitality suite agreement by planning to raise money for a federal election.

His friend Steven Witkoff, who recently testified on Trump's behalf in New York, purchased the suite in his name for the purposes of operating the fundraiser.

'It has come to our attention that you may be using your Paddock Club Rooftop Suite for a political purpose, namely raising money for a federal election at $250,000 per ticket, which clearly violates the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix suite license agreement,' read a cease and desist letter.

'If this is true, we regret to inform you that your suite license will be revoked, you will not be allowed to attend the race at any time, and we will refund you in full.'

Race officials declined to comment on the story publicly, while Witkoff told the New York Post 'this is something fake, for sure,' but declined to comment any further. 

Trump was spotted in deep conversation with the team CEO at the McLaren garage

The presidential candidate also greeted children with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem

The fundraiser was reportedly set up by a Hollywood, Florida golf club which is owned by Witkoff's real estate company. 

Club members recently received an invitation to the fundraiser, and while it didn't mention Trump by name, Post sources who inquired were told that the event was for the GOP candidate and would cost $250,000. 

Trump wasn't the only big name in attendance. Travis Kelce flew in from the Kentucky Derby while Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes and wife Brittany were also there.

A host of NBA players like Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler were there, along with pop singer Camilla Cabello. 

Trump tore into the prosecutors threatening to send him to jail on Saturday night, accusing the Democrats of running a 'Gestapo administration'.

He also branded special counsel Jack Smith a 'f**king a**hole' as he addressed a $40,000 a head fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago.

Around 400 donors and lawmakers were at the lunch on Trump's Florida estate to which he returned on Friday night after the first week of his hush money trial in New York.

Travis Kelce arrived at the Hard Rock Stadium just after 3pm after being at the Kentucky Derby

Kelce's Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany were also in the hospitality

In his 90-minute speech he said he was surprised to have been the first ex-president criminally indicted, and blamed his 2020 defeat on Democrats who 'rigged and stole that election. And we're not going to let that happen again,' according to a tape leaked to the Washington Post.

Trump also teased his audience over who he would choose as his vice-presidential running mate and dished out praise to embattled House speaker Mike Johnson, ordering Republican critics to 'leave him alone'.

He mocked Fulton County DA Fani Willis as 'a real beauty', and joked that his daughter-in-law Lara would not have married his son Eric had she known that her prospective father-in-law risked jail.

'Once I got indicted, I said holy s***, I just got indicted. Me, I got indicted,' he said. 'In fact, Lara, if she knew I got indicted, she probably wouldn't have joined the family.

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