Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Supports Trump Administration’s Truck Driver Policy

On Thursday, Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX, expressed his endorsement for the Trump administration’s efforts to target illegal truck drivers in the U.S.

Musk responded to a statement from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who announced that the administration is withholding $40 million in funding from California for failing to enforce English proficiency requirements for truck drivers. Duffy stressed that this oversight undermines road safety.

In his comment, Musk shared a personal story: “My friend’s wife was killed by an illegal truck driver who was not licensed to drive. Safety standards exist for a reason.”

Duffy placed responsibility on California for not enforcing the necessary regulations. Citing a report by Breitbart News, he referenced a tragic incident involving an undocumented truck driver, Harijinder Singh, who allegedly killed three individuals in Florida after making an illegal U-turn.

It was reported that Singh had failed an English proficiency test and could not recognize traffic signs following the accident, yet California still issued him a commercial license.

In September, Duffy introduced updated rules aimed at removing around 200,000 dangerous immigrant truck drivers from the roads, as noted by Breitbart News’ Neil Munro.

However, the implementation of these new regulations has faced challenges due to potential lawsuits from major trucking companies and retailers like Amazon. Roughly 190,000 foreign drivers may continue operating until their licenses expire, allowing companies time to hire and train American drivers at presumably better wages.

The Duffy rule was welcomed by many U.S. truck drivers who are grappling with competition from foreign drivers, encouraged under President Joe Biden’s administration. Notably, Biden’s lawmakers permitted many young Indian men to enter the country on tourist visas, presumably to facilitate their obtaining of commercial driver’s licenses at more immigrant-friendly licensing offices.

Shannon Everett, co-founder of American Truckers United, commented in a recent interview that the Trump administration seems determined to encourage truckers to communicate in English. “We’re definitely seeing more enforcement. It’s not at the level we need. But I think our law enforcement officers, those on the ground, ultimately want to do the right thing,” he elaborated.