Teamsters Union Refuses to Endorse Harris; Members Favor Trump

Powerful union says neither Kamala Harris nor her rival have committed to prioritizing workers over big corporations

The International Brotherhood of Truckers The union has decided not to endorse any candidate in the November U.S. presidential election, signaling a possible shift in Democratic support toward Donald Trump. The union, which has been crucial to Democrats, announced the decision after a poll found that 58 percent of its members preferred the union to support the Republican former president, double the number that backed Vice President Kamala Harris. However, it was not clear what percentage of the 1.3 million members, including UPS drivers, railroad workers and nurses, were surveyed.

“Unfortunately, neither major candidate has made a serious commitment to ensuring that the interests of workers come before big corporations,” union president Sean O’Brien said. He said they tried to get commitments from both Trump and Harris to avoid interference in crucial union campaigns and guarantee the right to strike, but were unsuccessful.

While other large unions, such as the United Auto Workers and American Federation of Teachersendorsed Harris shortly after her campaign began, Teamsters leaders opted for a different process, holding roundtable-style meetings with candidates and conducting internal polls to make their decisions more democratic. This is the first time in 28 years that the union has not made a presidential endorsement.

Two days before the decision, Harris had met behind closed doors with Teamsters leadership, while Trump had previously also sought to win the support of union leaders.

The decision comes amid concerns among labor leaders about Trump’s growing support among working-class voters. While Trump is widely seen as an enemy of the labor movement, polls indicate that his working-class supporters are more open to him than they were in 2020, when Joe Biden was favored by a 16-point margin.

John Palmerthe Teamsters’ international vice president, said the executive board voted overwhelmingly not to make an endorsement at O’Brien’s request. He criticized that decision, calling it “cowardly” and saying it amounted to a “tacit endorsement” of Trump. Palmer, who will challenge O’Brien in the 2026 union election, expressed regret over the decision.

The Trump campaign celebrated the decision as a victory, while Lauren Hitta spokesman for Harris, highlighted the vice president’s strong record of supporting unions.

A White House declined to comment directly on the Teamsters survey, with the press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre just reinforcing that Biden and Harris have always defended unions.

In contrast, the National Black Caucus The union’s leadership reaffirmed its support for Harris, calling her a “key partner” in the most pro-labor administration in recent memory, while denouncing Trump as a “scab.”

With reporting from Taylor Nicole Rogers in New York and Lauren Fedor and Steff Chávez in Washington for the Financial Times*