President TrumpDonald John TrumpWayfair refutes QAnon-like conspiracy theory that it's trafficking children Stone rails against US justice system in first TV interview since Trump commuted his sentence Federal appeals court rules Trump admin can't withhold federal grants from California sanctuary cities MORE on Tuesday describeddisplayingthe Confederate flag as "freedom of speech" while saying it was "up to" NASCAR to make the decision on whether to allow the symbol at races.

The comments came a day after he chastised the racing circuiton Twitter for banning the flag from its properties andtargetedBubba Wallace, one of the sport's top Black stars.

"My stance is very simple: Its freedom of speech," Trump said in an interview with a Nexstar television reporter at the White House when asked his personalstance on the flag in society.

"You do what you do. Its freedom of speech,"the president continued. "NASCAR can do whatever they want, and theyve chosen to go a certain way, other people choose to go a different route."

Trump addedthat he didn't think his tweets taking a stronger stance against NASCAR's decision were "critical" of the organization.

"I was just talking about the fact that NASCAR chose to go a certain way and thats going to be up to them. That is up to them," he said, adding that he's friendly with representatives and drivers from the racing league. "But I view it as freedom of speech."

Trump previously suggested while campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination in 2015 that the Confederate flag should be formally retired, saying at the time that the Confederate flag flying at the South Carolina Statehouse should be put in "a museum."

Hislatestremarks come as hecontinues to speak out over what he's called a "left-wing cultural revolution that aims to tear downstatues and monuments commemorating U.S. heritage.

Trump used speeches over the Fourth of July weekend to tout the country's monuments anddenounce protesterswho have toppled some ofthe statues. The presidenthas also threatened to veto a defense policy bill over the inclusion of an amendmentcalling formilitary bases named after Confederate leaders to change their names.

The positioning has come amid a renewed push for the removal of symbols of the Confederacy in wake of the police killing of George Floyd.

On Monday, Trump targeted NASCAR in a tweet while accusing Wallace, the racingcircuit's only full-time Black driver, of carrying out a "hoax" involving a noose found in his garage stall.

"Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX?" Trump tweeted. "That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!"

Officials from NASCAR reportedin lateJune that a noose was found in Wallace's garage stall at an Alabama raceway.Days later,federal authorities determined that Wallace was not the victim of a hate crime and that the noose had been there since at least October. The circuitlaterreleased a photo of the noose, which authorities said was used as a garage-door pull.

NASCAR has defended how it handled the matter, with PresidentSteve Phelps emphasizing the "noose was real."

The president'stweet targeting NASCAR came after it announcedJune 10 that it would no longer allow Confederate flags on its properties or at its events, saying that its presence "runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment."

The circuit made the decision asprotests swept across the nation following thepolice killing of Floyd and after Wallace pushed the racing league to take the step.

Following the president's tweet on Monday, Wallace responded with a note intended for "the next generation."

"Love over hate every day," Wallace said. "Love should come naturally to as people are TAUGHT to hate. Even when it's hate from the POTUS.. Love wins."

Several people within NASCAR also voiced support for Wallace following the president's attacks.

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Trump on Confederate flag: 'It's freedom of speech' | TheHill - The Hill