Democrats are reportedly concerned that the Teamsters union's recent refusal to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president could be a warning sign of former President Donald Trump's victory, according to pro-Harris labor union officials, Democratic strategists and allies.
Democrats are reportedly taking this as a warning sign after the Teamsters union, which represents more than one million labor members, announced it would not endorse any candidate, despite polls showing the majority of its members support Trump. According to To Politico.
One union leader who supports Harris and spoke to the outlet anonymously said he “couldn't help but be reminded” of the time when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received a disappointing response from union members, despite being supported by several unions like Harris.
“To be honest, I can't help but think of HRC. They may be wrong underneath the surface,” the source told the outlet. “I hope that's not the case.”
Several union leaders said that, as in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, Trump “remains in control of a significant portion of union membership” despite being perceived to have an “anti-union record.”
The Teamsters this week reserved their support for Harris even though an internal survey showed a majority of respondents backed Trump, raising fresh concerns that the Republican candidate could garner more support than expected among union members, especially men. Union leaders in other areas have said that, as in 2016 and 2020, the former president continues to hold sway over key segments of their membership despite his anti-union record. Democrats privately say Harris still has work to do to win over older, white, working-class voters who make up the bulk of Rust Belt voters and have been hit hard by high prices.
As Breitbart News previously reported, the union has supported Democratic presidential candidates since 1996, so its “lack of support for Harris” is seen as dire.
Harris has been endorsed by the union representing U.S. postal workers and the United Auto Workers.
Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), actively He sought to gain the support of the American working and middle classes, including union members.
Democratic consultant Pete Giangreco told the outlet that Harris is “doing better than most Democrats” among non-college-educated white women, but acknowledged that she is “losing support” among non-college-educated white men.
“The good news is she's doing better among white non-college women than most Democrats have done before,” Giangreco explained, “but the bad news is we're seeing regression among white non-college men. The gender gap is widening because both groups are heading in two different directions. And how is it going to end? We have 47 days to figure that out.”
