A truck driver who went viral on social media over the weekend for suggesting truckers would boycott NYC in support of Donald Trump issued a new statement on Monday clarifying his position.
On Friday, a trucker known on social media as Chicago1Ray took the internet by storm with a video posted in reaction to a New York judge ordering Trump to pay more than $350 million in a civil fraud trial.
In the video, Chicago1Ray suggested that he and “at least 10” other truckers would “start refusing loads to New York City starting on Monday” as a show of support for Trump.
The video went massively viral, even earning the endorsement of Trump himself. “Such an honor to have so many Great Patriots on the side of FREEDOM!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Over the weekend, the original video was deleted by Chicago1Ray.
On Monday morning, he shared a follow-up video explaining that the video was removed because it upset his grandson.
He also said that while he and other truckers support Trump, he does not want to be the face of the NYC trucker boycott movement:
“I’m not no figurehead. I’m not no leader of any movement. I’m not going on any podcasts, or doing any GoFundMes or anything like that.“
He also clarified that the news of the trucker boycott he shared was “chatter.”
“I let you guys know what I heard,” Chicago1Ray explained. “Some people are seriously thinking of not going to New York City. I’m not going to encourage it, but if New York City [is] gonna have judges ruling like they’re ruling, and running a town like they’re running then, you know, hey, that’s the freedom every truck driver in this country, everybody has in this country, to decide on their own.”
Chicago1Ray went on to deny that he removed the video because he was threatened by anyone.
You can view the Monday morning video below (language warning).