In break with tradition, powerful Teamsters union won’t endorse Harris or Trump

For the first time since 1996, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will not endorse a candidate in the US presidential election. The decision marks a departure from the 1.3 million-member union’s tradition of backing Democrats. The union, which endorsed Biden-Harris in 2020, cited lackluster commitments from both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on key labor issues.

“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,” Teamsters president Sean O’Brien said, who earlier this year became the first Teamsters president to give an address at the Republican National Convention amid concerns over Biden’s fitness.

Internal union polling released ahead of the decision showed 60% of Teamsters members favored Trump over Harris, a sign of the eroded Democratic support among blue-collar Americans — many of whom live in critical swing states, like Pennsylvania.