Bubba Wallace Explains ‘Simple-Minded Fans’ Comment During ‘FOX Nation’ Appearance

NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace has faced considerable support and criticism alike in recent weeks due to his stance on the Confederate flag ban and NASCAR’s investigation into a garage door rope pull with a noose handle. He responded to the hoax accusations with the phrase “simple-minded fans” and sparked backlash, but now Wallace has further explained his meaning. He sat down with FOX Nation’s Lawrence Jones and revealed that “simple-minded fans” refers to those that jump to conclusions without the facts.

Jones mentioned the controversial phrase while asking Wallace about his appearance on The View. This interview is when he first mentioned the “simple-minded fans” and sparked backlash, and Jones wanted to know what Wallace meant. The driver of the No. 43 responded by citing both his own response to the garage door rope pull with the noose handle and the ban of the Confederate flag. Wallace also said that the people upset about the ban are just “stuck in their ways.”

“You don’t understand, you don’t give yourself enough time to educate yourself,” Wallace said. “You quickly just jump to [the] conclusion. Yeah, people will say the same about me, but I’m just doing what I was delivered facts on. The people that don’t want change, that don’t see how removing the Confederate flag creates so many more opportunities for our sport to grow. They don’t want the sport to grow. They think it’s the greatest thing ever, but they will be the first ones to complain about how bad the races were.”

While Wallace has seen his fanbase grow in recent weeks, he has also witnessed even more criticism. This includes comments from former baseball player Aubrey Huff, President Donald Trump and everyday Twitter users. While Wallace says that he could try to please his critics, he will never get grace or support from them.

“You’re never going to get that from them. They will always kind of carry that chip on their shoulder and do everything to knock you off your pedestal,” Wallace said. “So their job is to always deliver hate. Immediately to deliver hate, before the facts are even given. … You’re not going to make everybody happy. I went through a lot of stress of trying to make everybody happy, and one wrong move would blow up and you quickly realize that you’ll never make everybody happy. And so, there’s no need in wasting your time or energy or efforts on that.”

The full interview with FOX Nation airs on Friday. Jones sits down in Wallace’s North Carolina home and discusses his love of motorsports, his initial journey to NASCAR and where his career is going after the events of recent weeks. Wallace also explains how music — specifically, Mariah Carey — helps him cope with depression.