News/Commentary

Tennessee railway conductor fired after calling America ‘greatest country’ and then some!

July 9, 2026 | | Print Article

A Tennessee railway worker was fired for treating tourists to some colorful and patriotic commentary over the July Fourth weekend.

Jack Peterson was working as a part-time conductor for The Incline Railway in Chattanooga when he was captured on video calling America the “greatest country” on earth, and more.

“To the very, very few Americans in here, happy Independence Day,” Peterson began. “To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet, and if you disagree, you can leave.”

Peterson was “immediately fired” by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA).

“I want to apologize directly to the passengers who experienced this, and to everyone who has seen the video and felt its sting. It should never have happened,” Scott Wilson, CARTA’s chief of staff, responded according to Fox News Digital.

But not everyone chose to be offended by Peterson’s patriotic statement. A fundraiser for the now ex-railway worker was created and appears to be quickly reaching its goal.

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As for CARTA’s position on the matter? They say Peterson veered from the rules of the job.

“We have zero tolerance for language that demeans or excludes anyone who rides with us. For 131 years, the Incline Railway has welcomed visitors from Chattanooga and from around the world. Every passenger who boards our railway deserves to feel respected and welcome, and we are committed to making sure that is always the case,” Wilson added.

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Possibly feeling the heat, Wilson also offered Fox News Digital a lengthy fence-straddling statement indicating that Peterson might be “re-employed.”

“This incident happened during a holiday weekend while CARTA’s CEO was traveling to celebrate Independence Day with family. Upon his return, our CEO, who is committed to workforce development and investing in employees, has reached out to Mr. Peterson and will meet with him to have an open dialogue about the impact and intention of his words, and to determine if there is a path forward for reemployment in some capacity. The story of America is one of continued improvement, and we are hopeful we can demonstrate that with this employee in this unfortunate situation.”

Peterson “was dismissed under Section 14 of CARTA’s Code of Conduct — ‘conduct unbecoming a CARTA employee’ — along with the standards in Section 5 of our Employee Handbook, ‘Public Contacts by Employees,’ which requires that all operators be pleasant and courteous in speech and manner and states plainly that discourteous treatment of others will not be tolerated and may result in discharge.”

“A conductor’s duties are to safely seat every passenger, deliver the safety and welcome announcements, and then play the pre-recorded script that tells the history of the Incline Railway,” Wilson said. “The announcement system exists for safety and hospitality; it’s not an opportunity to share personal views.”

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