Donald Trump thanked a group of teamsters Saturday for defying convention by supporting his Republican presidential bid.
“I am honored that the great men and women of the @Teamsters have created a movement from within called Teamsters for Trump! Thank you,” the presumptive Republican nominee tweeted Saturday.
I am honored that the great men and women of the @Teamsters have created a movement from within called Teamsters for Trump! Thank you.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2016
Though the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which says it has 1.4 million members, has not made an endorsement, groups have popped up pledging their support for Trump online. Unions such as the Teamsters normally support Democrats, but the truckers’ union famously endorsed President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Trump, hoping to build on his appeal to white working class Republicans, would love to pull off a similar coup.
In a recent interview with NPR, Antonio Caracciolo, a member of a local New York teamsters branch and founder of the Facebook group United For Donald J. Trump explained why he thinks Trump has broad national appeal.
“He’s putting skin in the game,” Caracciolo said. “He is writing the check. If someone crashes your truck or something and you own the business, you have to pay the bills. Well, he is — right now, he’s paying the bills for himself. None of the other candidates can say that.”
Trump has accepted millions of dollars in donations and has signaled he will attempt traditional fundraising in the general election. But Trump so far has raised most of his campaign cash by using personal funds to loan his campaign money. He argues this means he is “self-funding,” though critics note he can eventually pay back the loans using funds contributed by supporters.
Caracciolo mentioned that Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also has some appeal among his local teamster group, but added that the democratic socialist is “losing traction.”
Caracciolo said there is very little, if any support, among his peers for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Trump on Saturday also took a shot Clinton in a tweet wooing Teamsters.
“I am going to keep our jobs in the U.S., and totally rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. Crooked Hillary has no clue! @Teamsters,” he said.
I am going to keep our jobs in the U.S., and totally rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. Crooked Hillary has no clue! @Teamsters
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2016
Trump has earned the endorsement of at least one prominent union: the National Border Patrol Council.
Back in March, the federal employee union representing more than 16,500 workers made an endorsement for the very first time, praising Trump for his statements border security.
