Vice President Kamala Harris was asked by MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle about the Teamsters' refusal to endorse a Democratic candidate, the first time the group has done so in decades.
Major labor unions surprised the public last week by announcing that they would not endorse the president in the election, while also releasing polling data showing low approval ratings among their members. Overwhelming support Ruhle noted that former President Trump “connected” with union members on an emotional level in 2016.
“When the Teamsters decided not to support you, what was their reasoning? What are they looking for?” Ruhle asked.
Harris initially pointed to the support she had received from other union groups and told Ruhle, “I am an ally of workers and I support the importance of joining a union and understanding the benefits and values of a union.”
MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhl criticized Harris for avoiding discussing how she would raise taxes: “She's not answering the question.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, in an interview with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle, was asked why she didn't have the support of the Teamsters union. (Screenshot/MSNBC)
“But what I'm asking is, [that] “We want something more from her. What is it?” Ruhle interjected.
“Donald Trump made a lot of promises that he didn't keep and that are, in some ways, broken,” Harris told Ruhle, accusing the former president of outsourcing American jobs overseas.
She then added, “So part of the challenge, and I don't disagree, is the challenge, we've got to get everyone's vote, and that's to remind people of the facts, no matter what somebody says at some little rally somewhere. And I think that's really important. And that's part of what I'm doing in this campaign, is reminding people of the reality, like here in Pittsburgh, of who's on the side of unions, who's on the side of American manufacturing, who's on the side of American jobs.”
MSNBC host defends Harris for dodging policy questions: 'She's not running to be perfect'
“Neither major candidate has been able to make a serious commitment to our union to always put workers' interests above those of big business,” Teamsters President Sean O'Brien said.
“We asked both Trump and Harris for a commitment not to interfere in vital union causes and the Teamsters' core industries, and to respect our members' right to strike, but we did not receive that commitment.”
While the Teamsters leadership has refrained from making endorsements, data released by the group shows that about 60% of its rank-and-file members support Trump and only about a third say they plan to vote for Harris.
Teamsters President Sean O'Brien shocked the nation by announcing that the union would not endorse Harris for president. (Andrew Caballero Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
In a separate interview, Mr. Ruhle pressed Ms. Harris on how she would “finance” her ambitious economic agenda if Republicans in Congress block efforts to raise corporate taxes.
“Are you still going to go ahead with that plan and go into debt?” Ruhle asked.
“But we have to raise corporate taxes,” Harris responded. “We have to make sure that big corporations and billionaires pay their fair share. That's the issue: Paying your fair share.”
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MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle pressed Harris on how she would “finance” her ambitious economic proposals. (Screenshot/MSNBC)
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Ruhle later acknowledged that Harris “did not answer the question.”
“If Republicans control the Senate and they can't raise corporate taxes, where are they going to get the money to expand the child tax credit and do whatever they want to do? And she's saying, 'We're just going to do it,'” Ruhle told MSNBC colleague Nicolle Wallace. “That's great and it's a campaign promise, but the problem is, we're never going to address the deficit if it means borrowing again. And debt and deficits were a problem when you were a proud Republican.”
