Trump camp calls for “support for union members” after Teamsters’ shocking announcement

UNIONDALE, NY – The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced Wednesday that it will not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump in the 2024 White House race.

For the first time in a quarter of a century, the powerful union had decided to remain neutral in a presidential election campaign – even though it had published internal polls among the union base showing that the majority supported Trump.

And the populist former president and his campaign quickly drew attention to the strong support of union members.

“It's a great honor. They're not going to endorse the Democrats. This is a big deal,” Trump told reporters shortly after the Teamsters' announcement during a stop in New York City before holding a rally on nearby Long Island.

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In a press release titled “Union Members Endorse President Donald Trump,” the campaign highlighted that the former president led the vice president by more than 25 percentage points in an online and telephone poll of Teamsters union members.

Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, argued in a statement: “The hard-working members of the Teamsters have made it loud and clear: They want President Trump back in the White House! These hard-working men and women are the backbone of America and President Trump will vigorously advocate for them upon his return to the White House.”

The powerful union has over a million members in the US and has close ties to the working class in the crucial Midwestern districts and other swing states across the country. It has supported the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1980.

And the Teamsters were the only one of the country's ten largest organizations not to endorse Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

When asked if the Teamsters' move would impact the election, Trump said: “I think so. Yes, I think so. The Teamsters have a lot of weight.”

Trump's support among Teamsters has risen sharply since Harris replaced President Biden at the top of the 2024 Democratic ticket two months ago, according to union data. The union's poll before Biden's exit showed the president leading Trump among members, 44.3% to 36.3%.

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Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Leadership Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Biden made history as the first president to picket with striking workers.

In a statement on Wednesday, the union said in its explanation of why it refused to endorse a 2024 presidential candidate: “The union's extensive polling of its members has shown no majority support for Vice President Harris and no overall member support for President Trump.”

Teamsters President Sean O'Brien said that “neither of the two major candidates has been able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure that the interests of working people always come before the interests of big business.”

“We have demanded commitments from both Trump and Harris not to interfere in key union campaigns or core Teamsters industries – and to respect our members' right to strike – but we have not been able to achieve those commitments,” O'Brien added.

O'Brien spoke to reporters on Monday after the union's executive board meeting with Harris [the board met earlier this year with Trump and separately with Biden]said that polls among rank-and-file members would be an important but not the only factor in whether and who they would support.

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien speaks on the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

O'Brien noted that any support “will depend on the rank-and-file members, the poll and also the discussions and deliberations of the general board.”
He also reiterated his criticism of Trump's recent comments in an interview with billionaire business magnate Elon Musk. The former president had praised the tech CEO at the time for taking revenge by firing striking employees, which was illegal.

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When asked if Trump's comments would influence the Teamsters' support, O'Brien said, “That plays a role in the decision.”

The Harris team cited the support of “many Teamsters locals and rank-and-file members” in a statement to Fox News following the union’s withdrawal from the presidential nomination of both major parties.

“While Donald Trump says striking workers need to be fired, Vice President Harris has literally walked the picket line and advocated for unions her entire career,” said Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for her campaign.

Hitt added, “The vice president's strong union record is why local Teamsters across the country have already endorsed her — along with the overwhelming majority of unions. As the vice president told the Teamsters on Monday, if she is elected president, she will be sure to look out for the Teamsters rank and file — because they have always been and always will be the people she fights for.”

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