A prominent U.S. labor union has chosen not to endorse either Harris or Trump.

 One of America’s most influential labor unions, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has opted not to endorse a presidential candidate for the first time since 1996. With around 1.3 million members in the U.S. and Canada, the union cited a lack of "commitments on top Teamsters issues" from either Democratic nominee Kamala Harris or Republican nominee Donald Trump. 

Polling of its members showed "no definitive support" for either candidate, although some recent surveys indicated a significant preference for Trump. This decision poses a significant challenge for Harris, as the union's backing could have energized working-class voters in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

In response to the announcement, several regional councils representing over half a million Teamsters in states like Michigan and California have pledged their support for Harris. The Harris campaign highlighted its backing from a large portion of organized labor, pointing out that many local Teamsters have rallied behind her.

General President Sean O’Brien has been building relationships with Republicans since taking office in 2022, even meeting privately with Trump and addressing the Republican National Convention. However, he did not endorse Trump despite praising him as "one tough SOB." After speaking at the RNC, he was not invited to address the Democratic convention, where rank-and-file members represented the union.

Some Teamsters have expressed dissatisfaction with O’Brien’s rightward outreach. Last month, the Teamsters National Black Caucus and six locals broke ranks to endorse Harris. 

Harris recently met with the Teamsters board in a lengthy discussion, where O’Brien noted similarities in her responses compared to Biden’s. While Biden has promoted himself as a pro-labor president and has taken significant actions to support unions, some reports suggested the Teamsters might not endorse him for re-election prior to his withdrawal in July.

Ahead of its announcement, the union released internal polling showing members favoring Trump by significant margins. However, the Teamsters stated that their broader polling did not reveal majority support for either candidate. The Trump campaign seized on these results, claiming that the members clearly want him back in the White House.