Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien reveals why the union decided not to endorse either former President Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris on ‘Your World.’
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters was ridiculed on social media Wednesday after announcing it would not be endorsing a presidential candidate, despite a majority of the union’s membership supporting former President Trump.
Teamsters on Wednesday posted the results of internal polling on the 2024 candidates, showing that the union’s members favored Trump by 59.6% over Democratic nominee Vice President Harris, who received 34% in an online survey. In a phone survey, Teamsters favored Trump over Harris, 58% to 31%.
Still, the union declined to endorse a 2024 presidential candidate for the first time in three decades, saying in a statement, “The union’s extensive member polling showed no majority support for Vice President Harris and no universal support among the membership for President Trump.”
TEAMSTERS WILL NOT MAKE PRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENT DESPITE MEMBER SUPPORT OF TRUMP
President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sean O’Brien speaks on stage on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
The decision to sit out this election ignited a fury on social media, with critics slamming union leadership for caving to external pressures while failing to represent their members.
“With the “internal” poll numbers below, how could the @Teamsters leadership IGNORE their rank and file members and NOT support @realDonaldTrump?!?!” CNN commentator David J. Urban posted on X.
“NO ENDORSEMENT IS RIDICULOUS!!!,” he wrote in a follow-up post.
“Union bosses taking care of their members, or themselves?” Virginia state delegate Nick Freitas posted.
“lol the standards were “majority support” for Harris or “universal support” for Trump?” Free Beacon editor Peter Hasson responded.
“Trump is so popular with the rank and file that the leadership had no other choice,” former acting director of U.S. National Intelligence Richard Grennell commented.
Free Beacon reporter Joe Gabriel Simonson replied, “Sounds like you did but I guess you’re worried about retributions from the pro-labor party.”
The powerful union, which represents some 1.3 million workers in the U.S. and Canada, has endorsed the Democratic candidate for president ever since 1992. The last time the union endorsed a Republican was in 1988.
While many criticized the union’s refusal to endorse a candidate, Trump said the Teamster’s lack of endorsement for Kamala Harris, the Democrat nominee, spoke volumes considering its past support of Democratic candidates.
“The Teamsters carry a lot of weight… it was always automatic that Democrats get the Teamsters and they said we won’t endorse the Democrats this year. So, that was an honor for me,” he told reporters Wednesday.
Some of his supporters on X also touted the news as a win for the Trump campaign.
“It’s a p—y move for the @Teamsters not to formally endorse Trump when their members prefer him 2-1. But their non-endorsement of Harris says it all.,” online political commentator and former police officer John Cardillo posted.
“Huge win for Trump team. Teamsters, usually the most reliable of Democrat endorsers, just said they’re not endorsing Kamala Harris this year,” The Federalist senior editor and Fox News contributor Molly Hemmingway wrote.
“The rank and file spoke loudest. Trump all the way,” pro-life activist Kristan Hawkins agreed.
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien describes meeting with former President Trump. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images / Fox News)
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien defended the decision in an appearance on “Your World” later Wednesday when asked whether he’s concerned about appearing “disconnected” from union members.
“No, we’re definitely not disconnected from our members, he said, citing “extensive polling” internally.
“Our goal as leaders…is to provide the ability for people to have a voice and to provide credible information, and we cannot dictate to our members, our members are sophisticated, they’re going to make their own decisions,” O’Brien added.
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“But,” he continued, “this is a bigger problem. The Democrats have always taken for granted that they’re going to get our vote no matter what, and republicans fancy themselves as the working people’s party. I think right now both sides have to take a step back and really re-evaluate what their commitment is to working people and that’s what we did in this process.”
Fox Business’ Breck Dumas, Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
