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Donald Trump pays tribute to the late Kyle Busch in the wake of his tragic passing.

Tributes to Kyle Busch have flooded social media over the last 24 hours following the NASCAR champion’s sudden and tragic passing. On Friday evening, President Donald Trump sent out a heartfelt message honoring the legendary driver.

Samantha, Kyle’s widow, has been an avid supporter of Trump in his second term as the United States President. Last year, Samantha visited the White House to advocate for in vitro fertilization (IVF) to be more accessible across the United States.

Now, the President has sent well wishes to Samantha and the Busch family in the wake of Thursday’s tragedy.

Trump pays tribute to Kyle Busch: ‘Kyle was a WINNER’

On Friday evening, Trump took to Truth Social to honor Busch and the illustrious career he had in NASCAR.

“The LEGENDARY NASCAR Driver Kyle Busch tragically and unexpectedly passed away yesterday. He was a true talent who loved NASCAR and its fans. Kyle was a WINNER! He was a two time Cup Champion, and holds the All Time Record for WINS in NASCAR’s Top Three series, and even won another just last weekend,” Trump wrote.

Trump went on to send thoughts and prayers to Samantha and the couple’s two children, Brexton and Lennix, as they mourn the loss of Kyle. 

“Kyle’s wife, Samantha, and their two beautiful children are in our thoughts and prayers. Samantha was at the White House in October, for IVF. She truly loved Kyle! Rest in Peace Kyle Busch. You will always be a LEGEND! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States, has been to numerous NASCAR races during his time in office. In 2020, Trump was the grand marshal for the 2020 Daytona 500. He was the second sitting President to attend the race and first President to deliver the command.

In 2024, in between his two terms, Trump attended the Coca-Cola 600, with his famous “Trump Force One” making a flyover prior to the green flag. 

Trump also attended the 2025 Daytona 500, one month after being sworn into office for the second time. Prior to the green flag, Trump took a ceremonial pace lap in the presidential motorcade.

Circumstances regarding Kyle Busch’s tragic death

Busch, a 63-time Cup Series race winner and two-time Cup champion, died unexpectedly on Thursday at 41 years old. It was revealed on Thursday morning that the driver of the No. 8 had been hospitalized due to a “severe illness.”

On Wednesday, Busch was found “unresponsive” after testing in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord, North Carolina. He was scheduled to race in Friday’s CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

In the aftermath of Busch’s death, Corey Day was tapped to drive the No. 7 Spire Motorsports truck, while Austin Hill will be the fill-in driver for Busch’s Cup car. 

On Friday afternoon, Richard Childress Racing announced they have “suspended” the use of the No. 8 and are switching to the No. 33 for the foreseeable future. The team added that they have saved the No. 8 for when Brexton, 11, is ready to go NASCAR racing.

Busch’s passing sent shockwaves through NASCAR and the sports world, leading to many tributes to the racing legend from inside and outside the sport.