Adam Schiff went on national television and lied about contacting the Ukraine whistleblower.
He just did it again – this time in a post attacking the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
What happened next was something even Schiff could not spin.
Penske Confirms Freedom 250 Grand Prix Was Privately Funded With No Federal Money
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix was the first IndyCar race ever run through the streets of Washington, a 1.7-mile circuit around the National Mall built as part of America's yearlong 250th birthday celebration.
Adam Schiff saw Trump waving a green flag in front of hundreds of thousands of cheering Americans and reached for his phone.
"While you struggle with the cost of gas, Trump offers you the spectacle of an IndyCar race hoping you will not notice," Schiff posted Sunday. "More taxpayer money spent on his self-aggrandizing distractions. And you get higher taxes and higher costs."
There was one problem.
Schiff did not check who actually paid for the race before hitting send.
When Washington's NBC affiliate asked Penske Corporation President Bud Denker who footed the bill for the Freedom 250, Denker answered: "We are."
Penske – the automotive and logistics giant headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan – privately bankrolled the inaugural event. The company's only revenue came from suite sponsors along the course. Not a dime from the federal government.
Local and federal law enforcement covered security through Washington's existing special-events funding allotment – the same pool tapped for every major gathering in the capital.
The "taxpayer money" Schiff warned Americans about was standard security for a privately funded celebration of America's 250th birthday.
Graham Rahal Fires Back at Schiff Over Freedom 250 Taxpayer Money Claims
IndyCar driver Graham Rahal did not let the post stand.
"No, no, Adam. He wanted you to notice and bask in the pride of being American, watch great racing and patriotism on display," Rahal fired back on X.
Rahal, whose father Bobby Rahal won the Indianapolis 500 and built one of IndyCar's storied racing teams, went further.
"Not only that, this was privately funded, not government although it drove thousands of folks to the DC area that have never been. That's economic impact for you."
Hundreds of thousands of spectators – Americans and international visitors alike – flooded Washington for the race, spending money at hotels, restaurants, and businesses across the capital.
Kyle Kirkwood crossed the finish line first, winning the Freedom 250 for Andretti Global on the streets of Washington.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle did not leave room for interpretation.
"It's a complete disgrace that Pencil-Neck Adam Schiff is willing to trash the United States of America during its historic 250th birthday celebrations simply because he hates President Trump," Ingle said. "The great people of California deserve better."
Former electronics executive Sam Antar went straight to the mechanics of the mistake.
"Schiff saw Trump, started typing, and skipped the part where you check the facts first," Antar wrote on X. "That's how you end up volunteering for your own Community Note."
This is not the first time Schiff has rushed to attack Trump and gotten the facts wrong.
He told Congress his committee had no contact with the Ukraine whistleblower – a statement the New York Times later proved false and PolitiFact rated False.
He claimed the Secret Service paid the Trump Organization more than $150,000 for golf cart rentals. FactCheck.org found the agency rented from other companies entirely.
The pattern has never changed: Schiff attacks Trump first and checks the facts whenever he gets around to it.
His correction landed within hours – Rahal, Antar, and the White House each pointing to the same publicly documented record Schiff had access to before he ever opened his phone.
Roger Penske – who bankrolled the Freedom 250 and owns Team Penske's NASCAR and IndyCar operations – has been a close ally of Trump for years.
Trump returned the loyalty by becoming the first president since Ronald Reagan to attend the Daytona 500 and hosting NASCAR drivers and team executives at the White House.
The Freedom 250 put hundreds of thousands of Americans in the streets of their own capital to celebrate 250 years of a country that still sets records.
Schiff saw all of it, called it a waste, and got corrected publicly for lying once again.
Sources:
- Charles Creitz, "Schiff attack on Trump's DC IndyCar race backfires after driver points out contradiction," Fox News, August 24, 2026.
- Joe Kinsey, "Donald Trump waves a patriotic green flag and the liberals are furious," OutKick, August 24, 2026.
- "IndyCar driver Graham Rahal reflects on opportunity to compete at Freedom 250 Grand Prix," OutKick, August 20, 2026.