No Traction for Proposed NYC Boycott Among Truckers After Trump Ruling

Despite calls by some supporters of former President Donald Trump for truckers to boycott New York City in response to his recent fraud penalty, most truck drivers say such a protest is unlikely. Professional truck drivers using social media have dismissed the idea of a widespread boycott over Trump’s $355 million civil judgment.

While some cite political motivations, most say typical frustrations like traffic, crime, and parking make New York City undesirable. According to trucker and TikTok user bluecollar_trucker, “This trucker strike, nobody’s talked to me about it.” He acknowledged issues beyond politics that already make the city unpopular for truckers.

Trump Ordered to Pay $350 Million in Civil Fraud Case

The ruling against former president Donald Trump in his civil fraud case brought by the New York Attorney General has sparked calls from his supporters for truckers to boycott New York City. However, truckers themselves have dismissed these calls, stating that no such boycott is actually happening.

According to reports, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties after finding him liable for business fraud last year. The lawsuit filed by Attorney General Letitia James accused Trump, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, the Trump Organization, and two executives of fraudulently inflating asset values to obtain more favorable loan terms.

Calls for NYC Trucker Boycott in Response to Ruling

On Friday, New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties for fraudulently inflating assets to obtain bank loans. Since then, some Trump supporters on social media have urged truckers to refuse delivery routes into New York City in order to disrupt its economy.

However, according to various truckers themselves, a boycott over Trump’s legal troubles is unlikely. In posts on the video-sharing app TikTok, two truckers said a strike was “not happening” and that no one had asked them to participate.

Truckers Dismiss Boycott Over Trump Case as “Not Happening“

While some pro-Trump voices on social media had urged truckers to boycott New York City by refusing routes into the city, truckers themselves said this was “not happening.” However, some noted that there were, in fact, issues that made New York City an unattractive destination, like traffic, crime, parking difficulties, and tolls.

“The main reason why most truckers are not going to New York City is because of the f****** laws that are put in place, especially now that we got to pay tolls within the city,” said another trucker in a TikTok video.

Real Reasons Some Truckers Avoid NYC Deliveries

Traffic congestion, parking difficulties, and compliance with city ordinances are commonly cited deterrents for truckers traveling into New York City. As TikTok user and trucker “bluecollar_trucker” stated, “The trucker strike, nobody’s talked to me about it, and I know a lot of other guys on other platforms like, ‘Yeah, no, we’ve never talked about it either.’

While a small minority of vocal pro-Trump advocates initially promoted the concept of a trucker boycott targeting New York City, the vast majority of truck drivers have indicated that they have no plans to participate in such an action.

InfoWars Host, Alex Jones Backs, Proposed NYC Trucker Boycott

InfoWars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Monday became the latest conservative figure to back a proposed trucker boycott of New York City following the ruling in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial. Judge Arthur Engoron, who oversaw the trial, ruled on Friday that the former president must pay $354.9 million in penalties.

The call for a boycott has made its way across social media over the weekend, sparking truckers across the U.S. to dispel the notion that they would boycott the city over Trump’s legal issues. Though pro-Trump social media users began urging truckers to boycott New York City by refusing to accept routes into it, truckers have stated that is not happening.

Boycott Organizer Deletes Original Post About Plans

The organizer of a proposed boycott of New York City by truck drivers deleted his initial calls for action. According to reports, the organizer, known as “Chicago Ray,” had echoed the claims of former President Donald Trump that the $355 million civil fraud penalty brought against him was politically motivated.

Subsequently, Chicago Ray removed that post and shared another on Monday, stating he was not encouraging anyone to take action. That post was also later removed, according to a screen capture shared by the progressive media group MeidasTouch.

Past Right-Wing Boycott Calls Have Fizzled Out

Previous attempts by conservative groups to organize boycotts of cities or companies have largely failed to gain traction. In early 2021, some supporters of former President Trump called for boycotts of companies that had paused political donations in the aftermath of the Capitol attack, including Coca-Cola, Delta, and Major League Baseball.

However, none of these proposed boycotts resulted in substantial or long-term changes in consumer behavior. Similarly, in 2019, the evangelical American Family Association called for a boycott of Target after the retailer announced inclusive bathroom policies, but the boycott did not significantly impact Target’s revenue or stock price.

Potential Economic Impacts of a Successful Boycott

If truckers were to successfully boycott New York City, the ports and shipping companies that serve the city would likely face major revenue losses. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the ports are responsible for nearly $7 billion in tax revenue and support more than 400,000 jobs.

A disruption of goods and services in the city could significantly impact operations at the ports, damaging the local economy. A trucker boycott that disrupted the flow of goods into New York City could lead to shortages of certain products and raw materials in the city, as well as price inflation for available goods and services.

Broader Economic Impacts

The economic losses from a successful trucker boycott of New York City would likely extend far beyond the city itself. As a major center for business, finance, and commerce, disruptions in New York City can have ripple effects across the national and even global economy.

Many companies headquartered in New York City have a national or international presence, and problems in the city could hamper their operations more broadly. Tourism, hospitality, retail, and other industries that depend on the free flow of people and goods into New York City would also suffer losses that could reverberate through the broader economy.

The Boycott That Never Happened

While some conservative voices have expressed support for a boycott of New York City by truckers in response to last week’s civil fraud ruling against Donald Trump, the proposed action does not appear to have gained much traction within the trucking community itself.

With no major trucking associations or labor groups publicly backing such a boycott, it seems unlikely that the vocal support of media figures like Alex Jones will translate into any meaningful economic disruption for America’s largest city.