In September 2017, Lewis Hamilton was reported to have posted—and then deleted—an Instagram video involving a doll of Donald Trump, as the NFL national-anthem protest debate intensified. He supported athletes’ right to protest, but said he did not plan to kneel at that year’s United States Grand Prix. The video’s full contents, original caption and exact removal time are not established by the available contemporary reports.
What did Lewis Hamilton post about Donald Trump?
Contemporary coverage described a now-deleted Instagram video involving a doll of then-president Donald Trump. It appeared during the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, amid Hamilton’s posts supporting NFL players’ protests, including material associated with Martin Luther King Jr. and the #takeaknee movement. Reports described the video and placed the episode during the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend.
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The video and the other posts belonged to the same wider controversy, but reporting does not establish that the video itself was a statement about Hamilton kneeling at a race. Nor do the sources establish the complete video or its original caption.
Why was the post part of a larger protest row?
The NFL protests were players’ demonstrations during the US national anthem against racial inequality and police brutality. Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel became the movement’s prominent NFL starting point. In 2017, President Trump condemned protesting players and urged team owners to fire those who protested, drawing wider attention to the dispute. Contemporary reporting on the controversy describes that context.
Hamilton publicly supported the players’ right to protest. Sky Sports reported that almost 200 NFL players protested during Week 3 of the 2017 season, with some remaining in their locker rooms during the anthem; that is the outlet’s reported figure, not an independently verified tally here. Coverage of Hamilton’s support and Sky Sports’ Week 3 report document the episode.
Why did Hamilton delete the video?
Contemporary coverage reported that Hamilton said he would not have deleted the video. Another report suggested Instagram may have been the wrong channel for the post. The available reporting does not provide a complete first-person explanation, establish who removed it, or give a precise deletion time, so a definitive reason cannot be stated. The report on Hamilton’s reaction does not supply those missing details.
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Did Hamilton take a knee at the US Grand Prix?
He said he had no plan to kneel during the anthem at the 2017 United States Grand Prix. ESPN quoted him saying: “I don’t really have a position and I don’t have any plans [to do so].” He said his focus was winning. That answer is distinct from his support for NFL players’ right to protest: supporting their choice did not mean he announced that he would make the same gesture at the race. ESPN’s report records his comments.
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What the reports establish—and what they do not
- Reported: Hamilton supported NFL players’ protests and was reported to have posted a video involving a Trump doll.
- Reported: He said he had no plan to kneel at the US Grand Prix and, according to contemporary coverage, said he would not have deleted the video.
- Not established: The video’s full contents and caption, the exact time it disappeared, who removed it, and a complete first-person explanation for its removal.
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