A startling revelation from Teamsters President Sean O’Brien highlights a tense exchange with Vice President Kamala Harris that took place during her campaign, just before her defeat by Donald Trump. O’Brien shared the story on The Tucker Carlson Show, recounting Harris’s dismissive attitude toward the powerful labor union.
According to O’Brien, Harris met with the Teamsters for a roundtable after President Biden exited the race. However, she reportedly answered only four out of 16 questions posed by the union, cutting the meeting short. “On the fourth question, one of her staff slips a note in front of me — ‘This will be the last question.’ And it was 20 minutes earlier than the time it was supposed to end,” O’Brien recalled. As she left, Harris reportedly declared, “I’m going to win with you or without you.”
The union leader was taken aback by her dismissive tone, prompting him to reach out to former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. “Let me ask you a question, Marty. Excuse my French. Who does this f—king lady think she is?” O’Brien said, reflecting his frustration with Harris’s approach.
Harris’s attitude may have contributed to the Teamsters’ decision not to endorse any presidential candidate for the first time in nearly 30 years. Historically, the 1.3 million-member union has leaned heavily Democratic, endorsing Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. However, weeks before the election, O’Brien announced the union’s neutrality, citing significant support for Trump among its members—59.6% favored Trump, compared to just 34% for Harris.
O’Brien expressed concerns about Biden’s fitness for office before his withdrawal, describing the decision to initially run the 82-year-old for reelection as resembling “elderly abuse.” Despite his critique, O’Brien acknowledged Biden’s legacy as a “good president for workers,” while noting his visible decline during the campaign.
The Teamsters’ historic shift away from their Democratic allegiance reflects broader dissatisfaction among labor unions, particularly as Harris’s campaign failed to resonate with workers. The move underscores the growing divide between the Democratic Party and some traditional blue-collar bases.
Pardon my french, but F— the unions.
Promoting communism for the past 30 years is more like it.
Who the F— does this guy think HE is? Organizations promoting candidates… if he believes he has this much power, then unions are certainly guilty of election interference. This is one minority telling their lackies how to vote and it’s sickening!!!
Yeah, unions are definitely problematic in this day and age. In the beginning, unions served to elevate labor problems in the public conscience and led to much needed reforms for worker compensation and workplace safety. All admirable objectives.
Now, unions contribute to rising prices and the flight of American manufacturing to cheaper labor locations. Sad, really. Just take a look at the ‘rust belt’, textile production, consumer electronics for the actual result of union activism.