Teamsters announce campaign maneuvers after flirting with Donald Trump

Kamala Harris' campaign suffered a setback on Wednesday when the Teamsters – one of the most influential unions with long-standing ties to the Democratic Party – refused to endorse the presidential candidate.

The announcement by the leadership of the 1.3 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters marks the first time the union has skipped a presidential election in nearly three decades. In every presidential election since 1996 – the last year the Teamsters did not endorse a presidential candidate – the union has endorsed a Democrat.

About two-thirds of union members support Donald Trump, according to recent electronic and telephone polls. About a third support Harris. Earlier this year, Joe Biden outperformed Trump in the organization's polls.

Union President Sean O'Brien cited disagreements among members as one reason the Teamsters would not support the union, adding that he had not received the promises he had hoped for from Trump or Harris.

“Unfortunately, none of the major candidates have been able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure that the interests of working people are always put ahead of those of big business,” he said, noting that none of the candidates would agree not to interfere in the union's key campaigns or sectors or to respect its right to strike.

Trump immediately portrayed the decision as a victory.

“Although the Teamsters Board of Directors does not express formal support, the vast majority of rank-and-file workers in this important organization want President Donald Trump back in the White House,” his team wrote in a press release Wednesday afternoon.

Shortly after the announcement, the Teamsters' regional councils representing members in California, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam announced they would endorse Harris.

“While Donald Trump says striking workers should be fired, Vice President Harris has literally walked picket lines and stood up for unions throughout her career,” Harris spokeswoman Lauren Hitt wrote in a statement published by NPR. “The Vice President's strong union record is why Teamsters chapters across the country have already endorsed her — alongside the overwhelming majority of unions.”

Earlier this summer, Republicans invited O'Brien to speak at the party's convention. He delivered an impassioned 17-minute speech in which he sharply denounced the corporate elite.

The Teamsters also made a rare donation to the Republican National Committee after O'Brien met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

The union has a significant membership in the key “blue wall” states of the Midwest, where majorities will be tight. With the candidates neck and neck, the decision not to support them could make all the difference.