Several truck drivers who back Donald Trump for president declined to haul goods to and from New York City following a civil fraud ruling on February 16, which saw the former president fined $355 million and banned from conducting business in the state.
Following the verdict, a trucker supportive of Trump, known as “Chicago Ray,” uploaded a video on X platform, announcing his and his fellow drivers’ decision to boycott deliveries to New York City in protest against Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling. Ray strongly criticized the verdict, which not only imposed a significant fine but also suspended Trump’s business operations in the state and barred him from serving as an officer or director of any corporation in New York for the ensuing three years.
Jennifer Hernandez, a woman truck driver, joined her counterparts in protest and asserted that they had the potential to close down the city effectively. She cautioned that halting deliveries would impact consumers and emphasized that even a modest 10 percent decrease in truck traffic to and from the city could lead to significant spikes in the prices of goods.
Ray suggested that shoppers should stock up on supplies while they still have the chance and encouraged Democrats to halt their scrutiny of Trump. He cautioned that there were millions of truckers who supported Trump and warned of possible shortages if the former president remained under scrutiny. Trump praised the boycott, lauding the truckers as “Great Patriots,” and again accused President Joe Biden of misusing law enforcement and endangering democracy.
Following the widespread circulation of his video, Chicago Ray subsequently retracted his statements. Ray deleted his initial post and video, replacing them with an update in which he disavowed being a spokesperson and asserted that he wasn’t urging truckers to take any action they weren’t already considering after the ruling. He later reiterated that he hadn’t been influenced by anyone and clarified that he removed his original post solely because it had gained significant attention.
