Teamsters Consider Not Endorsing Either Party In 2024 Race

(PatriotWise.com) — In a blow to President Biden, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, an influential union of more than 1.3 million members, is considering withholding its endorsement in the 2024 presidential election.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the union, which backed Biden in 2020, is unlikely to throw its support behind Republican challenger Donald Trump. At the same time, deep internal divisions within the Teamsters could keep the union from endorsing anyone.

The loss of the endorsement would be a blow to an already-weakened President Biden, who has billed himself as the most pro-union president in history.

The president was endorsed by the United Auto Workers Union in January, despite UAW President Shawn Fain previously rebuking the Biden administration over its electric vehicle mandates.

The Biden campaign initially believed that an endorsement by the Teamsters was an inevitability. However, after deteriorating relations and recent concerns about Biden’s political future in light of his alarming performance in last month’s CNN debate, support for the president has soured among some union leaders.

Teamsters spokeswoman Kara Deniz told Reuters that the union has not made a final decision and that any suggestion that the Teamsters would withhold its endorsement was speculative.

Meanwhile, President Sean O’Brien became the first Teamster in history to attend a Republican National Convention when he addressed the delegates in Milwaukee on Monday night.

O’Brien told Republicans that he did not believe in “knee-jerk” loyalty and said that the Teamsters were “not beholden to anyone or any party.”

While O’Brien did not endorse Donald Trump in the election, he did praise the former president for his toughness and attack the Washington establishment for hurting working Americans.

O’Brien also heaped praise on Trump’s newly chosen running mate, JD Vance, describing him as one of the few lawmakers in Washington who cared about working people.

As of now, O’Brien is not scheduled to address the Democratic National Convention next month.

Kara Deniz told Reuters that the Teamsters reached out to both parties and asked to speak at their conventions but only heard back from the RNC.

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