Teamsters President Sean O’Brien prompted an internal rebellion at his union last month when he addressed the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. O’Brien didn’t endorse Trump, but his appearance at his coronation sent a strong message — one the union chief now seems to be trying to temper.
On Tuesday, O’Brien responded critically to a Monday night interview between Donald Trump and right-wing billionaire Elon Musk, during which the former president praised Musk’s union-busting tactics at his various companies.
“I look at what you do,” Trump told Musk, laughing. “You walk in and you just say, ‘You wanna quit?’ They go on strike — I won’t mention the name of the company — but they go on strike and you say, ‘That’s OK. You’re all gone. You’re all gone. So, every one of you is gone.’”
In a statement to Politico, O’Brien responded to the interview by noting that “firing workers for organizing, striking, and exercising their rights as Americans is economic terrorism.”
O’Brien’s statement is a blow to Trump’s efforts to court the union’s endorsement. Last month, O’Brien addressed Republicans gathered at the RNC to crown Trump as their nominee. His speech prompted the Teamsters X, formerly Twitter, account to post a disavowal of his appearance, and a challenge to his position as head of the organization by Teamsters Vice President-at-Large John Palmer.
According to ABC News, O’Brien and other members of the Teamsters leadership met with Trump ahead of the convention. “Before departing the union’s headquarters, the former president directly told those in attendance that the Teamsters would have a seat at the table if a potential endorsement was made for a second administration,” the union’s magazine reported in July.
The Teamsters are the largest union not to endorse Harris, and O’Brien is facing pressure from disgruntled factions upset over his RNC appearance. On Tuesday, the Teamsters National Black Caucus broke with its parent organization and voted unanimously to endorse Harris.
“Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have consistently demonstrated their unwavering commitment to workers and their families. Their records reflect a deep dedication to advancing labor rights and supporting working-class Americans,” the caucus wrote in a statement announcing their endorsement. “In stark contrast, former President Donald Trump has consistently undermined workers’ rights, fueled divisiveness, and discriminated against marginalized communities.”
Trump’s comments on Tuesday have also reaffirmed other major unions opposition to his candidacy. The United Auto Workers Union quickly filed a lawsuit against Musk and Trump over their “illegal attempts to threaten and intimidate workers.”
“When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean. When we say Trump stands against everything our union stands for, this is what we mean,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement on Tuesday. “Both Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly. It’s disgusting, illegal, and totally predictable from these two clowns.”
The UAW endorsed Kamala Harris’ run for the White House last week, joining a growing coalition of organized labor groups in backing the vice president.
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