Teamsters members heavily favor Trump over Harris ahead of union endorsement decision

Former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris nearly two-to-one among Teamsters members, according to survey data the union released Wednesday as it considers an endorsement in the presidential race.

Close to 60 percent of members who participated in an electronic poll said they supported Trump, compared to 34 percent who backed Harris. A separate survey conducted via phone similarly had Trump up big: 58 percent to 31 percent.

Earlier this week General President Sean O’Brien said earlier this week the polling of its membership would be a key consideration.

“Our members are the union, and their voices and opinions must be at the forefront of everything the Teamsters do,” O’Brien said in a release. “Our final decision around a possible Presidential endorsement will not be made lightly, but you can be sure it will be driven directly by our diverse membership.”

Shortly thereafter, the Teamsters announced it would not endorse either candidate.

The union did not immediately include other details about the polling, including how many members participated. But it is a stark shift from an earlier straw poll that showed Biden ahead of Trump among Teamsters, 46 percent to 37 percent with then-candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 5 percent.

Harris’ vastly worse performance among membership also raises questions about whether other blue-collar unions harbor similar reservations about her within their ranks, despite their organizations' endorsement of her.

O'Brien has faced push back from some Democrats and others in organized labor over how the Teamsters has handled the endorsement process, including inviting Trump as well as other GOP and independent candidates to roundtables held at the union's headquarters in D.C.

He has repeatedly defended his approach by saying it is important to incorporate the rank-and-file, rather than imposing a decision from the top.