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Who is Chicago Ray? Trucker calling for NYC boycott over Trump takes U-turn, says ‘see you down the road’

A trucker named "Chicago Ray" took U-turn on Monday, a few days after he posted a video on social media calling for a trucker boycott of New York City.

Updated on: Feb 19, 2024, 22:50:12 IST
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A trucker named Chicago Ray took a U-turn on Monday, February 19, a few days after he posted a video on social media calling for a truckers boycott of New York City to protest the court ruling in former US President Donald Trump's New York fraud trial.

Amid calls to boycott NYC shipment, trucker Chicago Ray said he isn't encouraging anyone to do anything. (@Chicago1Ray)
Amid calls to boycott NYC shipment, trucker Chicago Ray said he isn't encouraging anyone to do anything. (@Chicago1Ray)

Ray, who released the video on his X (formerly Twitter) account ‘@Chicago1Ray’, now claims that he wants to take his stance back and forget about it. The driver stressed that he "is not encouraging anyone to do anything".

After deleting the original post, Ray posted another video on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, stating that "I took that video down from Friday ** it went viral and my Grandson seen it on Tik Tok. No one's got to me ... I heard what drivers were saying and I'm hearing some of that today. I ain't scared of shit. I grew up in Chicago. I stand with Trump 100% Truckers for Trump."

Also Read: New York Governor Kathy Hochul tries to soothe business owners' anxiety over Donald Trump's $355 million ruling

He further cleared that he is not a leader of any movement and truckers can make their own decision based on their priorities. The driver also hinted that he won't boycott NYC, saying that “See you down the road”.

“Drivers can make their own decisions based on their families and their careers... I worked for a place for 18 years and I quit em in one day and had this job b4 I got to my car.... i ain't the leader of any movement... I'm my own man period.…God Bless America, God Bless Trump and God bless every Truck driver in this country. Cya down the road,” he added.

In another post which he has deleted from X, Ray told truckers to "do what we do" and "lets keep goods and services flowing as scheduled".

“I'm in Wisconsin and I'm hearing guys refusing loads..... this could take longer than a week.... my advice for New Yorkers is start stocking up... there's millions of Truckers for Trump millions of us .. leave Trump TF alone,” he wrote in a subsequent post on X.

This post has been deleted (@Chicago1Ray)
This post has been deleted (@Chicago1Ray)

Trump reacts to truckers denying shipment to New York City

Ray's statement came after Trump heaped praises on a group of truckers who have planned to turned down shipments coming to New York City following the $355 million fraud decision against him.

Calling truckers "great patriots", Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that it is an “honor” to have them on the side of freedom.

"Joe Biden’s Unfair and Dangerous Weaponization of Law Enforcement is a serious threat to Democracy. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" he added.

Also Read: Donald Trump's New York City fraud trial: How can the former president pay the $354 million fine?

Chicago Ray threatens shipments boycott in NYC

Last week, Ray, a conservative social media influencer and trucker, posted a video where he claimed that some of his colleagues have refused to drive to New York City as a protest against the court ruling.

“I’ve been on the radio talking to drivers for about the past hour and I’ve talked to about ten drivers … and they’re going to start refusing loads to New York City starting on Monday,” Ray stated in the video from inside his truck.

He stated that some of his coworkers have already informed their managers that they will not be traveling to New York City. “I don’t know how far across the country this is or how many truckers are going to start denying loads going to New York City, but I’ll tell you what — you f–k around and find out,” Ray said, adding that their bosses “ain’t gonna care if we deny the loads — we’ll just go somewhere else.”

“Do you know how f—king hard it is to get into New York City with one of these motherf—ckers?” he said, referring to his truck. “Man, f—k that. “ Ray even suggested that 95% of truckers support the ex-US President.

Continuing his warning, the truck driver stated Trump needs to be left alone, adding that the civil fraud probe against him amounted to "election interference."

"Thank you for being a true Patriot! If all of us patriots stand up, we will make a difference. We have to push back against the ones trying to purposely destroy our country," a user commented on his post on X.

"Great, I hope all truckers refuse to go to New York! Enough is enough and our actions matter," another X user wrote.

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More