Tennessee incline rail conductor fired over announcement saying tourists who don't think US is best country ever should GET OUT

Published: 16:09, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 16:11, 8 July 2026 A Tennessee railway conductor's 'racist' Fourth of July announcement has cost him his job after tourists were left disgusted by the controversial message.  Jack Peterson, a part-time conductor at the 131-year-old attraction Incline Railways was fired just hours after a shocked passenger posted footage of his holiday announcement to social media, where the clip rapidly spread. The controversy unfolded on Independence Day as the historic railway carried tourists up the dramatic slopes of Chattanooga's Lookout Mountain, one of Tennessee’s most visited attractions. As the train climbed the ridge, Peterson took to the microphone to greet passengers celebrating July 4.     'To the very, very few Americans in here, Happy Independence Day,' he announced. He then addressed the foreign visitors riding the train.  'To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet,' Peterson said. 'And if you disagree, you can leave.'  The harsh spiel immediately stunned passengers, with some riders groaning, while one man demanded the conductor simply 'shut up.' A Tennessee train conductor's impromptu Independence Day speech has left him jobless after passengers deemed it 'xenophobic and racist' Passengers aboard the 131-year-old Incline Railways in Chattanooga, Tennessee  Passengers found the message demeaning and obnoxious as one passenger confronted the conductor telling him bluntly to 'shut up!' The encounter was recorded by Florida tourist Nathan Scherer, who was vacationing with his family and later shared the video to TikTok, accusing the conductor of making 'racist' and 'xenophobic' remarks. Within hours, the footage had spread across social media, attracting 530,000 views and thousands of comments from viewers fiercely divided over the incident. Some felt Peterson had done nothing more than express pride in America on Independence Day, while others condemned his remarks as 'vastly inappropriate for an employee representing one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions.'  A complaint was quickly referred to the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), which operates the 131-year-old Incline Railway. 'It just really upset me, the whole time riding down,' Charles Scherer told WTVC. 'And I kept thinking the company needs to know about this because he was the only one representing the company and I just had a feeling that they don’t know that he is saying this.' 'We didn’t have any problems with the Incline, we just really had a problem that you should be aware that he’s making comments like that,' Scherer said, adding that he was left embarrassed because his granddaughter was on the ride. After reviewing the video, the agency confirmed Peterson had been swiftly fired.  CARTA Chief of Staff Scott Wilson issued a public apology, saying the conductor’s comments did not reflect the organization’s values. Scherer reported Peterson to the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) and the operator was sacked that afternoon 'I want to apologize directly to the passengers who experienced this and to everyone who has seen the video and felt its sting,' Wilson said. He stressed that the railway has welcomed visitors from around the world for generations and remains committed to ensuring every passenger feels respected and valued regardless of nationality or background. The now-sacked operator has since refused to back down from his comments, insisting they were intended as a patriotic tribute rather than an insult. 'I’m very patriotic. It was the USA’s Independence Day,' he said after losing his job. 'I truly do believe we are the greatest country on earth.' He added in a statement to ABC News, 'If you don't believe in making this country better then why are you here?' He also rejected accusations that his remarks were racist or xenophobic, maintaining that he was expressing love for his country not hostility toward anyone else. The Daily Mail has reached out to Scherer and CARTA for comment.