Teamsters President Sean O’Brien has attributed the Democratic Party’s decisive loss in the 2024 presidential election to its failure to connect with working-class voters. In an interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto on Your World, O’Brien characterized the election as an “economic decision,” criticizing Democrats for focusing on rhetoric rather than addressing practical concerns about the cost of living. “The Democratic Party wanted to talk down to working-class voters instead of listening to their concerns about gas, housing, and food prices,” O’Brien said. “Social issues are important, but at the end of the day, it’s about putting food on the table and being able to afford a home. Despite the rhetoric of ‘this is the best economy ever,’ it really hasn’t been.”
The Teamsters, representing more than one million members, took the rare step of not endorsing either President-elect Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 race. It marked the first time since 2000 that the union declined to endorse a Democratic presidential candidate. The decision was widely viewed as a setback for Harris’ campaign and a reflection of growing frustration within labor unions over the Democratic Party’s priorities. O’Brien stood by the union’s neutrality, acknowledging that polling showed strong support among members for Trump while noting that many Teamsters still identify as Democrats. “The decision we made as a general executive board is one I’ll stand by,” he said.
Data from the election revealed a significant shift in working-class support toward Republicans. NBC’s Steve Kornacki highlighted how voters earning $50,000 or less annually, who historically favored Democrats, shifted to the GOP by three points in 2024. Younger voters under 30 also reduced their Democratic support from a 23-point margin in previous elections to just 11 points. O’Brien attributed these trends to the Democratic Party’s failure to address economic realities. “The good news for Democrats is that they have an opportunity to refocus and try to reclaim why they lost the working class,” O’Brien said, while also calling for new leadership within the party. “They’ve got a lot of soul-searching to do. Maybe it’s time for Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi to step aside and let new leadership chart a path forward.”
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders echoed O’Brien’s sentiments, pointing to the party’s abandonment of working-class voters as a key factor in its defeat. “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders wrote on X, formerly Twitter. CNN analyst Scott Jennings framed Trump’s victory as “the revenge of the working-class American,” underscoring the frustration many voters feel toward traditional Democratic policies.
While the Teamsters do not regret their decision to remain neutral in the election, O’Brien emphasized the importance of focusing on economic issues to win back working-class support. The Democratic Party now faces the challenge of rebuilding trust with a key constituency that has historically been a cornerstone of its electoral base. Whether the party can address these concerns and regain working-class voters in future elections remains uncertain.
Sources:
- Interview with Sean O’Brien on Your World with Neil Cavuto (Fox News).
- NBC’s Steve Kornacki analysis of voter trends.
- Teamsters press releases regarding 2024 election endorsements.
- Bernie Sanders’ statement on X (formerly Twitter).
- CNN coverage of working-class voting patterns in the 2024 election.
