Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has slammed California Governor Gavin Newsom for issuing commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) to foreign workers whose work authorization was set to expire before the CDLs.
Sean Duffy Threatens To Pull $160 Million Funding To California
Quoting a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday, which alleged that Newsom's administration ignored DOT's orders to revoke the licenses, Duffy said that the administration's lies were "caught red-handed," adding that the DOT would be revoking "17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses." Duffy also threatened to pull "$160 million in federal funds" if California didn't revoke the licenses.
Gavin Newsom Calls Sean Duffy Out
Responding to the post, Newsom's press office handle on X slammed Duffy, claiming that the Transportation Secretary was "spreading easily disproven falsehoods in a sad and desperate attempt," to please President Donald Trump.
"He did, however, finally acknowledge that federal government issued these drivers work permits," the handle said, sharing an image to counter Duffy's accusations and claiming that the licenses were issued to drivers who had "legal presence" in the U.S.
"Blatantly Lying" To Americans, Duffy Claps Back
Quoting the post by Newsom's press office, Duffy responded by saying that the administration was "Blatantly lying to the American people," adding that the DOT was "reprimanding California for violating FMCSA’s [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration] ORIGINAL rules." He also outlined that the emergency rule came into effect because of California's "total disregard" of federal laws.
The California CDL Row
The issue stems from a fatal accident earlier this year that occurred in Florida when an undocumented truck driver, Harjinder Singh, took an illegal U-turn on a highway through an “Official Use Only” access point, which resulted in three lives lost.
The incident has since led to criticism of Newsom and his administration by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which said that the California government gave "an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License” despite having no “legal right” to be in the U.S.
Could Autonomous Driving Be The Answer?
With the crackdown on foreign drivers in the U.S. by the Trump administration, autonomous driving could be an answer to transport woes, with companies like Aurora Innovation (NASDAQ:AUR) developing autonomous trucks in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Tesla Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Semi trucks, which boast an enhanced range and updated design language for 2026, are designed with some Autopilot capabilities. Tesla already has a partnership in place with Uber Technologies Inc.'s (NYSE:UBER) freight operations.
Elsewhere, a former SpaceX employee, Matt Soule, is working on a startup that promises electric battery autonomous freight trains, called Parallel Systems. The company is currently in the midst of a pilot program, testing the second-generation driverless freight trains on 160 miles in Georgia.
Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
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Photo Courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald on Shuttertsock.com
