Trumps Lap Grand Prix Track

For once, things were moving fast in the nation's capital. Washington hosted an IndyCar race through its streets Sunday, with President Trump and first lady Melania Trump kicking off the Freedom 250 Grand Prix by leading a slow lap in the presidential limousine through the course. Soon after, the president waved the green flag to start the race, the AP reports, and drivers began whipping through downtown, including a stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue not far from the White House.

"I'm going to make a little circle in a nice, secure car, slightly slower than the ones we're going to witness, but we're going to have fun," Trump said in an interview on Fox shortly before the ride. The open-wheel race, with cars whizzing past Washington's monuments at speeds approaching 200mph, is the latest of Trump's celebrations this year to mark America's 250th birthday. Prerace events included tenor Christopher Macchio performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" and the release of a trained bald eagle, which swooped and flew overhead before returning to its handler. There were flyovers of military aircraft, including a B-2 stealth bomber, as well as the plane given Trump by Qatar to serve as Air Force One.