Danica Patrick forced to undergoe a foot surgery after Fox IndyCar appearance at Trump’s event

Danica Patrick returned to television as part of Fox’s coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., but only a day later, the former racing star revealed that she had undergone surgery on her right foot.

Patrick, who previously competed in both IndyCar and NASCAR, shared several updates about the procedure and explained that doctors removed a small piece of glass that had apparently remained in her foot for about a year.

The surgery came shortly after Patrick appeared on Fox’s pre-race coverage of the Washington event, where President Donald Trump played a prominent role in the day’s proceedings.

A year-old injury finally required surgery

Patrick revealed the procedure in a social media post, sharing a photograph of the piece of glass that was removed.

“Just a casual Tuesday morning surgery to remove a chunk of glass from a year ago,” she wrote.

According to Patrick, the fragment…came from a wine glass. She later posted another image from her hospital bed and joked about the anesthesia, writing, “The propofol wasn’t so bad.”

Patrick also explained that the problem had recently become more painful.

She said that during a trip to Europe she reached the point where walking barefoot was extremely difficult, even though she had still been able to wear high heels during the Freedom 250 weekend.

“I have no idea how I could walk in heels but I absolutely could not walk barefoot,” Patrick wrote.

She said her doctor told her the glass was hitting her bone.

Patrick also connected the recent increase in pain to a trip to Ibiza, writing: “Danced too hard in Ibiza a few weeks ago and it got more painful everyday.”

Her posts made clear that what had remained manageable for months had eventually become serious enough to require a surgical procedure.

Patrick returns to Fox for major IndyCar event

Patrick’s surgery followed her appearance on Fox’s coverage of the Freedom 250, an IndyCar street race held in Washington as part of celebrations marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.

Trump was heavily involved in the event. He led the field during the pace laps in his motorcade, watched the race from a suite positioned along the start-finish line and waved the green flag to begin the competition.

Patrick appeared as part of Fox’s pre-race coverage and discussed how quickly the event had developed from an idea into a completed race.

She credited Fox CEO Eric Shanks, Penske Corporation President Bud Denker, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Trump for their roles in making the event happen.

Patrick said the race represented what she described as the possibilities available in the United States.

“That this race was gone from concept to reality as quickly as it was, and as well as it’s been done, I think that is the perfect embodiment and celebration of 250 years of this country,” she said during the broadcast.

Fox later announced that 3.282 million viewers watched the race, making it the most-watched non-Indy 500 event since the current version of the series began in 2008.

Kyle Kirkwood won the race.

Her television appearance draws criticism online

Patrick’s return to television also generated a strong reaction from some viewers on social media.

Several users on X criticized both her presence on the broadcast and the tone of Fox’s coverage surrounding Trump.

One viewer described watching Patrick and the Fox team discussing Trump as “nauseating,” while another criticized the decision to include Patrick and Chris Myers on the broadcast.

Other posts questioned Patrick’s qualifications as a commentator and argued that other former drivers should have been given the opportunity instead.

One user wrote that there were “so many more well accomplished, deserving drivers with higher accolades” who could have filled the role.

Another viewer criticized Patrick’s discussion of American history and referenced the political topics she has discussed on her podcast.

Patrick has previously expressed support for Trump and MAGA, and her comments during the Washington race reflected the political significance she placed on the event.

Despite the criticism directed at Patrick online, Fox’s audience figures showed that the Freedom 250 attracted a substantial television audience.

Patrick’s appearance was her first on Fox’s IndyCar coverage since the Indianapolis 500, coming after she left Sky Sports’ Formula One coverage earlier this year following five years with the network.

Days after returning to the broadcast booth, however, attention shifted from racing and television commentary to her health as she documented the procedure that finally removed the piece of glass that had been causing persistent problems with her foot.