A still unknown number of truckers, led by MAGA influencer with the X handle Chicago Ray, are saying that they will not be accepting freight for New York City following the February 16 ruling of Judge Engoron on former president Donald Trump’s fraud case.
The protest reportedly started after Chicago Ray posted a video on X Friday night claiming that “at least 10” other truckers said they would not be accepting any loads going to NYC starting Monday to protest the fraud case ruling.
“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*ck around and find out,” he said.
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Trump Committed Fraud and Now Has to Pay for It
Earlier on Friday, Engoron ordered Trump to pay about $355 million plus interest and banned him from running any New York business for three years. The case, initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accused Trump of inflating his net worth to secure better loan terms from lenders. It sought at least $250 million in fines against Trump and aimed to restrict his business operations in New York significantly. Trump, not surprisingly, denied any wrongdoing, labeling the lawsuit a “scam.”
In September the judge issued a pretrial ruling that found Trump and his family business liable for fraudulently inflating the value of their properties, what followed was a contentious (and at times contemptuous) six-month no-jury trial where Trump’s lawyers insisted no one was hurt by the exaggerated figures.
“Donald Trump is not Bernard Madoff,” Engoron admitted in his ruling, but he emphasized that the “defendants are incapable of admitting the error of their ways.” The trial was done to see not whether he was liable, but to determine the amount of the penalty.
What happens next?
Trump is expected to appeal the ruling. Meanwhile, it’s unclear how the truckers’ protest will impact the ruling or the appeal. Much like Trump, the protesting truckers may just be pandering to the media, as truckers have long refused to drive to NYC, commonly referring to the city as a nightmare to drive in.
It may not be all for naught, though, because Chicago Ray did get a shout-out from his hero.
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