Teamsters Won't Endorse in 2024 Presidential Race

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Facts

  • The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, one of the largest labor unions in the US with 1.3M members, Wednesday announced it will not be endorsing anyone for the 2024 presidential election.[1]
  • In addition, the Teamsters released a national electronic poll showing that its rank-and-file members favor former Pres. Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, 59.6% to 34%.[2]
  • The Teamsters have endorsed the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1996 and haven't endorsed a Republican since George H.W. Bush in 1988. Earlier this year, Teamsters president Sean O'Brien accepted an invitation to speak at the Republican National Convention.[3]
  • In a statement, O'Brien thanked the candidates for meeting with the union's members, but said neither one made 'serious commitments' to 'ensure the interests of working people are always put before Big Business.'[4]
  • Harris' campaign reacted to the non-endorsement by citing her 'overwhelming' support for organized labor. Teamsters regional councils in several states, including Michigan and Wisconsin, announced they would endorse the vice president.[5]
  • Trump during a campaign stop told the media 'it's a great honor' because the Teamsters not endorsing the Democratic candidate is 'a big thing.'[2]

Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]Reuters.com, [3]CBS, [4]ABC News and [5]BBC News.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart and Daily Caller. This is a de facto endorsement for Trump and a disaster for Harris. The Teamsters' polling showed loud and clear that the rank-and-file want their union to endorse Trump because the former president is the only candidate who will stand up and fight for them. O'Brien can ignore the will of his members, but Trump won't forget them.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by The New Republic and Huffington Post. Harris and Pres. Joe Biden have formed the most pro-union administration in US history, while Trump's anti-labor policies are well-known. Still, O'Brien is hedging his bets. Embarrassingly for him, many local and state affiliates have voiced their support for Harris.

Predictions