Earlier in July, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the new “Freedom Haulers” initiative, which aims to get military veterans in the drivers’ seats of our big rigs and get illegal aliens and people who can’t speak English out.
President Donald Trump officially debuted the effort Thursday at a White House press conference attended by Duffy, veterans, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, and trucking industry leaders.
“ILLEGALS OUT, VETERANS IN,” Duffy posted to social media before the event.
🚨ILLEGALS OUT, VETERANS IN🚨
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) July 30, 2026
Our new campaign, FREEDOM HAULERS, is reclaiming America's highways and putting Vets in the driver's seat
✅ Make up to six-figures
✅ Flexible schedule
✅ Medical benefits
✅ Training costs covered
✅ Sign-on bonuses
Get on the road in a few… pic.twitter.com/j5vBCE49PO
🚨ILLEGALS OUT, VETERANS IN🚨
Our new campaign, FREEDOM HAULERS, is reclaiming America's highways and putting Vets in the driver's seat
✅ Make up to six-figures
✅ Flexible schedule
✅ Medical benefits
✅ Training costs covered
✅ Sign-on bonuses
Get on the road in a few weeks… Apply NOW ⬇️
RedState’s Ben Smith reported on what the initiative aims to do:
The campaign gives veterans a path to use what they already know. Veterans with two years of experience operating heavy military vehicles can skip the CDL [commercial driver’s license] driving test through the FMCSA's Military Skills Test Waiver Program. More than 40,000 service members and veterans have already used the waiver, which is available in every state.
Illegal alien truckers who have fraudulently obtained their CDLs are causing havoc on our highways, the president said:
.@POTUS: "For many years, American highways and roadways have been terrorized by unqualified illegal aliens dangerously driving Big Rigs... Semi-trucks, and tractor trailers all because Radical Left maniacs at the state level have issued them Commercial Driver's Licenses... They… pic.twitter.com/mc5ZVPiPOw
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 30, 2026
.@POTUS: "For many years, American highways and roadways have been terrorized by unqualified illegal aliens dangerously driving Big Rigs... Semi-trucks, and tractor trailers all because Radical Left maniacs at the state level have issued them Commercial Driver's Licenses... They don’t speak English. They cannot read basic road signs. In many cases, they’ve engaged in reckless driving that has caused many, many preventable deaths."
The president added that illegal aliens with commercial driver's licenses caused at least 30 deaths and that his administration had already removed more than 24,000 non-English speakers from behind the wheel while forcing states to cancel more than 28,000 fraudulently issued CDLs.
Meanwhile, the major transportation company Werner Enterprises is officially committing to hiring 1,400 veterans in the coming year.
MORE: Trump Boots Deadly Illegal-Alien Truckers, Puts American Veterans Behind the Wheel
THE ESSEX FILES: Fixing the Trucker Shortage Means Turning to Veterans, Not Illegal Labor
Collins said it’s an America First operation:
.@SecVetAffairs: "I can’t think of anything more American. I can’t think of anything that puts us first. Instead of the illegals who want to come take jobs, let’s put veterans in the seats, making job safer and better for all Americans, as we go along because veterans, you proved… https://t.co/o36TZNcd2d pic.twitter.com/GF52F4S8kW
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 30, 2026
.@SecVetAffairs: "I can’t think of anything more American. I can’t think of anything that puts us first. Instead of the illegals who want to come take jobs, let’s put veterans in the seats, making job safer and better for all Americans, as we go along because veterans, you proved once you can do it. I know for a fact you can do it every single day."
We have covered numerous heartbreaking stories of citizens killed by illegal alien drivers — the newlyweds who lost their lives in Oregon at the hands of an Indian national in November 2025, the three victims who were taken from us by an illegal attempting a U-turn on a Florida highway, and more. They’re awful stories to write, and what’s worse, they were all preventable.
This move by the administration not only attempts to solve the disturbing issue, but it helps those whom we should be rewarding: our nation’s heroes.
.@One_Werner "Operation: Freedom" driver Ricky Washington: "Veterans make exceptional truck drivers because the core values of the military align seamlessly with the trucking industry... Service members, veterans, and military spouses can find a purpose, a community, and a way to… pic.twitter.com/NwpBJdT3Qo
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 30, 2026
.@One_Werner "Operation: Freedom" driver Ricky Washington: "Veterans make exceptional truck drivers because the core values of the military align seamlessly with the trucking industry... Service members, veterans, and military spouses can find a purpose, a community, and a way to continue keeping our great nation moving forward."
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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