Teamsters Union Makes MAJOR Contribution To RNC Following Trump Visit, First Donation In Decades

The Teamsters Union, one of the largest unions in the country, recently made its first donation to Republicans since 2004 after 45th President Donald Trump visited the organization last month.

According to FEC filings, the Teamsters made a $45,000 donation on January 25 to the Republican National Committee convention fund. The move is a powerful sign that Democrats' hold over the unions is beginning to wane after two decades of the Teamsters supporting every Democrat presidential candidate since 2000. The donation, which has yet to be received by the RNC, was the maximum payout allowed by the union's political action committee.

Trump had met with union president Sean O'Brien at the beginning of the year, which proved to be productive. "There are serious issues that need to addressed to improve the lives of working people across the country, and the Teamsters Union is making sure our members' voices are heard as we head into a critical election year," O'Brien said about his closed-door meeting with Trump. "We thank the former President for taking time during this private meeting to listen to the Teamsters' top priorities. And we are eager to bring together the rank-and-file for an important and necessary roundtable with President Trump this month."

According to The Washington Post, O'Brien's meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago enraged left-leaning union leaders, with one board member calling Trump a "known union buster, scab and insurrectionist." That attack, however, did not stop O'Brien and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman from recommending the union's PAC give to the RNC.

The Republican frontrunner also held a public meeting with the organization on January 31. He told reporters at the time that it was a "very productive meeting." When asked if things the union would endorse him, Trump responded, "Stranger things have happened."

"Usually, a Republican wouldn't get that endorsement. But in my case, it's different because I've employed thousands of Teamsters, and I thought we should come over and pay our respects," he said. "As you know, a big part of the voting bloc votes for me."

While the $45,000 donation is a great sign for Republicans, the Teamsters did donate $30,000 to the Democratic National Committee as well, as reported by Axios. While Trump has made significant inroads with union members following his 2016 victory, the majority of union workers, 56 percent, still vote for Democrats, according to the Associated Press. Irrespective of the voting patterns of union members, the donation is a major victory for Republicans who have been looking to chip away at Democrat union support for decades.

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