By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER and JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
Published: 17:23 BST, 23 August 2026 | Updated: 17:54 BST, 23 August 2026
First Lady Melania Trump joined her husband, President Donald Trump, for her second public appearance of the week as the duo attend the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, DC on Sunday.
The first couple were spotted in the presidential motorcade, ahead of taking a handful of honorary laps of the track ahead of the IndyCar race.
Earlier in the week, the first lady kicked off another event in the White House Rose Garden with a punchy eight-word opener of: 'I heard you missed me. Here I am.'
That event marked her first public appearance with her husband Donald in more than a month, after the two were spotted together on July 19 at the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey.
The outing comes as the President heightened scrutiny surrounding his close personal aide Natalie Harp, after Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff leveled a vicious innuendo about their working relationship at a rally in Georgia last week.
At her Rose Garden event, Melania announced a partnership with IndyCar and Fox Sports to expand scholarship opportunities for kids aging out of the foster care system. The effort includes funding for programs at Indiana University and Purdue University.
Sunday's Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, DC, is being hosted by IndyCar to celebrate the nation's semiquincentennial birthday.
'Fostering the Future graduates will build new companies, launch new industries, and redefine what is possible for all Americans,' Melania declared at her event earlier in the week, adding: 'Fostering the Future is more than an educational initiative; it is generational investment in America's talents pipeline.'
First lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump, not visible, in the presidential limousine known as 'The Beast,' depart the White House en route to the IndyCar Freedom 250 Grand Prix auto race, Sunday, August 23, 2026, in Washington.
US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar series race in Washington, DC, August 23, 2026
(L-R) IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi, first lady Melania Trump, and driver Scott Dixon at the White House on Thursday
Top international motorsport officials praised the Freedom 250 INDYCAR race as a celebration of American history and the country's racing tradition.
H.E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, said the event would bring together the nation's 250th anniversary with a sport synonymous with innovation and speed.
