President Donald Trump paused his fiery, political comments at a North Carolina rally railing against the progressive left to honor and remember the late Greg Biffle, a NASCAR legend-turned-humanitarian figure and all-around good human being after a plane crash took his life and those of his immediate family.
For context, Biffle, his wife, two children, and pilots were killed when their plane attempted to return to the Statesville, North Carolina airport shortly after takeoff. The NTSB has conducted two press conferences already, indicating they have recovered a cockpit voice recorder. Photographs released from the scene of the crash suggest landing gear was deployed as the plane fell short of the runway threshold, but also that there was a potential missing storage door located in the front of the Cessna Citation and damage to the rear left engine.
Early speculation wonders if the compartment door opened in flight during rotation, sent luggage into the engine, and disrupted the ability of pilots to maintain control of the craft. There were no survivors in the early morning crash.
At the planned rally, Trump expressed his condolences to the family of NASCAR great Greg Biffle during his rally in Rocky Mount, NC on a December 18th event. Biffle’s plane went down the day before. A text message received by a family member said someone reached out to them from the air with just two words: Emergency landing.
After thanking people for helping him promote the America First agenda, Trump transitioned to remarks to honor the local hero. “But I also want to express my condolences to the people of this state and to the loved ones of NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, who perished yesterday in a tragic plane crash with his family in Statesville,” he began.
“I met him twice. He was just a great young man, and what a tragedy that is with his whole family. So I just want to pay our condolences, our love, please. I’ll tell you, North Carolina will never forget them. He was and his family were incredible people,” he finished.
As a celebrity politician, Trump always seems to have met America’s most successful people. The two famously connected on the racetrack at 2025’s running of the Daytona 500. In a viral clip, Biffle can be seen walking over and positioning himself for a selfie with the 45th and 47th President of the United States.
Biffle’s career in NASCAR stretches back decades. He began racing in the 1990s and entered the premier Cup Series in 2001, winning the prestigious Rookie of the Year honors. His career in the Cup Series would continue for nearly the next twenty years amidst racking up 19 race wins.
However, it was Biffle’s humanitarian work in the aftermath of the vicious Hurricane Helene that many more Americans began to learn about him. An avid pilot, he was hailed as a national hero for personally flying helicopter missions to the affected population of Western North Carolina.
Watch Trump remember the late Biffle and his family below: