OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
One of the country’s oldest and largest unions that historically has backed Democratic presidential candidates has decided to withhold its support for Vice President Kamala Harris this cycle.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters president Sean O’Brien announced on Wednesday that, after nearly two-thirds of its members voted to support former President Donald Trump, the organization would instead choose not to endorse any candidate. The last time that happened was in 1996, The Hill reported.
“The Teamsters thank all candidates for meeting with members face-to-face during our unprecedented roundtables,” O’Brien — who became the first Teamsters leader to speak at a Republican National Convention earlier this year — said in a statement.
He added: “Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are always put before Big Business. We sought commitments from both Trump and Harris not to interfere in critical union campaigns or core Teamsters industries — and to honor our members’ right to strike — but were unable to secure those pledges.”
The Teamsters have supported some Republican presidential candidates in the past, including Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush in the 1980s. But the decision to withhold former support for Harris is seen as a much bigger blow to her than to Trump, especially after nearly 60 percent of members who voted in an internal poll supported him over her.
“For the past year, the Teamsters Union has pledged to conduct the most inclusive, democratic, and transparent Presidential endorsement process in the history of our 121-year-old organization — and today we are delivering on that promise to our members,” O’Brien noted earlier in an X post.
“Our members are the union, and their voices and opinions must be at the forefront of everything the Teamsters do. Our final decision around a possible Presidential endorsement will not be made lightly, but you can be sure it will be driven directly by our diverse membership,” he added.
TEAMSTERS RELEASE PRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENT POLLING DATA
“For the past year, the Teamsters Union has pledged to conduct the most inclusive, democratic, and transparent Presidential endorsement process in the history of our 121-year-old organization—and today we are delivering on… pic.twitter.com/CnFNN9uosx
— Teamsters (@Teamsters) September 18, 2024
An “electronic member poll” showed Trump beating Harris, 60 percent to 34 percent, while in a “research phone poll” Trump topped Harris, 58 percent to 31 percent. Previously, President Joe Biden garnered more member support than Trump, 44.3-36.3 percent, though Biden has been in politics all his life, and Trump has actually built an empire using union labor.
The Trump campaign took the non-endorsement in stride and essentially declared a victory. Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Levitt said in response to Wednesday’s announcement, “While the Teamsters Executive Board is making no formal endorsement, the hardworking members of the Teamsters have been loud and clear — they want President Trump back in the White House!
“These hardworking men and women are the backbone of America, and President Trump will strongly stand up for them when he’s back in the White House,” she added.
The New York Times reported that Trump had been courting O’Brien for months, inviting him to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and securing a prime-time speaking slot for him at the Republican National Convention in July. During his speech, he called Trump “one tough SOB” after surviving the first assassination attempt, adding: “One thing is clear, President Trump is a candidate who is not afraid of hearing from new, loud and often critical voices.”
“I think we all can agree, whether people like him or they don’t like him, in light of what happened to him on Saturday [with the assassination attempt], he has proven to be one tough SOB,” O’Brien noted further.
WATCH:
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, during his RNC speech, says “one thing is clear” about Donald Trump:
“I think we all can agree, whether people like him or they don’t like him, in light of what happened to him on Saturday, he has proven to be one tough SOB.” pic.twitter.com/pSCfvEbr4a
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 16, 2024