Nearly $15,000 has been raised for a conductor on the historic Incline Railway in Chattanooga, Tennessee, who was fired after delivering a patriotic message to passengers on Independence Day.As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Jack Peterson, who worked as a conductor for the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), which operates the Incline Railway, made the comments during a July 4 ride.In a statement captured on video, which went viral on social media, Peterson wished “the very, very few Americans” on board a happy Independence Day.He added, “To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet, and if you disagree, you can leave.”WATCH:Incline Railway conductor in Tennessee has been fired for “demeaning language” after 4th of July footage of him went viral.“To the very, very few Americans in here, happy Independence Day,” the conductor said.“To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of… pic.twitter.com/VPnIY2P4Tv— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 7, 2026Within days, CARTA terminated Peterson’s employment over the remarks.CARTA Chief of Staff Scott Wilson told News 9, “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.”“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.In a statement to Fox News, Wilson added, “We certainly agree this is the greatest country on the face of the planet, especially in this 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence,” while decrying “rudeness toward our guests.”After being fired, Peterson launched a GoFundMe campaign titled “Support Jack Peterson After Job Loss.”In the description, he explained, “Im Jack Peterson the conductor that was recently fired for my patriotic statements at the incline railway. Im starting this because of the support and comments from people wanting to donate to my cause. Anything is welcome, we all work hard for our money so I truly understand. Thank yall again for all the support regardless of if you donate or not.”As of Saturday evening, the campaign had raised over $14,000 from more than 415 donors, with a goal of $24,000.The post Nearly $15,000 Raised for Tennessee Railway Conductor Fired for Patriotic July 4th Announcement appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.