Amtrak CEO Steps Down as Trump and Musk Threaten to Privatize Company

The latest victim of the Trump administration’s obsession with the appearance of efficiency is the guy who made the trains run on time. Stephen Gardner, the Chief Executive Officer of Amtrak who held the post since 2022, abruptly announced that he would be stepping down from his role Wednesday in the wake of Donald Trump and Elon Musk placing the train company in the crosshairs for potential privatization. In a statement, Gardner said, “I am stepping down as CEO to ensure that Amtrak continues to enjoy the full faith and confidence of this administration.” Prior to taking the top role at the firm, he served as Amtrak’s chief operating and commercial officer starting in 2009 and as the organization’s president starting in 2020. And while he’s been hanging in the C-suite for a while now, Gardner has some pretty solid credentials as a train lover. He previously served as a conductor and operations manager for the Maine Central Railroad, and he founded a punk band called Chessie, which to ... Read full article.