Trump says ‘proud American veterans’ will replace illegal immigrant truck drivers

Published July 15, 2026 7:20pm ET



President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that veterans who have driven “heavy trucks” for the military will be automatically eligible for a commercial driver’s license, stating that they will replace illegal truck drivers being taken off the roads.

The president revealed the development at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, where he mourned the death of a state trooper from Pennsylvania who was recently killed in a collision with a truck driver who was in the United States illegally. The announcement that the White House will push veterans to assume such jobs comes as Washington has engaged in a nationwide push to deport truck drivers whose legal status has expired, often citing concerns that they cannot read signs properly or have not adapted to U.S. culture. 

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