The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced Wednesday that they wouldn’t endorse a presidential candidate. Their internal polling showed most members favored Donald Trump over Kamala Harris.
This is the first time in nearly 30 years the union hasn’t endorsed a candidate.
“Neither major candidate made serious commitments to ensure working people's interests come before Big Business,” said Teamsters President Sean O’Brien. They sought commitments from both Trump and Harris on key issues but couldn't secure them.
A poll of members showed about 60% supported Trump, while 34% backed Harris. Only 6% supported another candidate.
The Trump campaign quickly highlighted this, stating, “The vast majority of rank-and-file Teamsters want Trump back in the White House,” citing the poll data.
Harris met with Teamsters leaders earlier this week. O’Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention but skipped the Democratic one.
The Teamsters, representing truck drivers and freight workers, was the last major union to announce its stance. Other labor groups have already endorsed Harris.
The last time the Teamsters didn’t endorse was in 1996. In recent elections, they supported Democrats, including Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. The last Republican they endorsed was George H.W. Bush in 1988.
It’s been noted that many union members support Trump, even though major labor leaders back Harris.