Kamala Harris Faces Embarrassing Setback as Union Declines Support, Deeming Her Unfit for Endorsement

In a win for former President Donald Trump and a blow to Vice President Kamala Harris, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters declared on Wednesday that they would not be endorsing any presidential candidate this election cycle.

According to The New York Times, the Teamsters, who represent a broad range of workers, including truck drivers and railroad employees, had previously backed Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton in the 2020 and 2016 elections, respectively. They had also thrown their support behind Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012.

Historically, the Teamsters have occasionally supported Republican candidates, such as Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush during the 1980s. The last time they chose not to endorse anyone in a presidential race was in 1996, as reported by The Hill.

On Wednesday, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said in a statement, “The Teamsters thank all candidates for meeting with members face-to-face during our unprecedented roundtables.”

He continued, “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.”

Earlier that day, O’Brien took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to elaborate, “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.”

He further emphasized, “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.”

Accompanying his post was polling data showing strong support for Trump among Teamster members. An “electronic member poll” showed Trump with a lead over Harris, 60 percent to 34 percent, while a “research phone poll” revealed a similar margin, with Trump beating Harris 58 percent to 31 percent.

Responding to the union’s decision, Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Levitt stated, “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,” Levitt added.

The New York Times also noted 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 opportunity for him at the Republican National Convention in July.

O’Brien made history as the first Teamsters president to ever speak at a GOP convention, where he remarked, “One thing is clear, President Trump is a candidate who is not afraid of hearing from new, loud and often critical voices.”

He added, “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.”

Throughout his career as a real estate developer, Trump has had extensive dealings with unions.

Harris, who met with O’Brien and other Teamster leaders earlier this week to try and secure the endorsement, ultimately failed in her bid.

The Teamsters’ decision not to endorse marks a clear victory for Trump and a notable defeat for Harris.