Last month, Teamsters union president Sean O’Brien sparked an internal rebellion in his union when he spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis. O’Brien did not endorse Trump, but his appearance at his inauguration sent a powerful message—one that the union president now appears to be trying to tone down.
On Tuesday, O'Brien responded critically to an interview Monday night between Donald Trump and right-wing billionaire Elon Musk, during which the former president praised Musk's union-busting tactics at his various companies.
“Look at what you’re doing,” Trump told Musk, laughing. “You walk in and you say, ‘Do you want to resign?’ They hit — I won’t name the company — but they hit and you say, ‘That’s okay. They’re all gone. They’re all gone. So, every single one of you is gone.’”
In a statement to Politico, O'Brien responded to the interview by saying, “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 win the union’s endorsement. Last month, O’Brien addressed Republicans gathered at the Republican National Convention to crown Trump their nominee. His speech prompted the Teamsters X account, formerly known as Twitter, to post a denial of his appearance and a challenge to his position as the organization’s president from Teamsters Vice President John Palmer.
According to ABC News, O'Brien and other members of the Truckers union leadership met with Trump before the convention. In July, the union's magazine reported: “Before leaving union headquarters, the former president told attendees directly that truckers would have a seat at the table if a potential endorsement was made for a second administration.”
The Teamsters union is the largest union not to endorse Harris, and O’Brien is facing pressure from disgruntled factions upset by his appearance at the Republican National Convention. On Tuesday, the National Black Teamsters Caucus broke away from its parent organization and voted unanimously to endorse Harris.
“Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have consistently demonstrated their unwavering commitment to working people and their families. Their records reflect a deep dedication to advancing workers’ rights and supporting working-class Americans,” the party wrote in a statement announcing its endorsement. “In contrast, former President Donald Trump consistently undermined workers’ rights and fueled division and discrimination against marginalized communities.”
Trump’s comments on Tuesday also underscored the opposition of other major unions to his nomination. The United Auto Workers quickly filed a lawsuit against Musk and Trump for “illegal attempts to threaten and intimidate workers.”
“When we say Donald Trump is a scab, that’s what we mean. When we say Trump stands against everything our union stands for, that’s what we mean,” United Auto Workers union president Shawn Fine said in a statement Tuesday. “Both Trump and Musk want working-class people to sit back, shut up, and laugh about it in public. It’s disgusting, illegal, and completely predictable from these two buffoons.”
The United Auto Workers union endorsed Kamala Harris for the White House last week, joining a growing coalition of organized labor groups in backing the vice president.
