Teamsters boss says 'smug' Kamala Harris alienated union after saying they 'better get on board' in 2024
O'Brien spoke with The Free Press founder and editor Bari Weiss on her "Honestly" podcast about who truly represents the American working class in a shifting political landscape.
He described one off-putting encounter a Teamsters leader had with the 2024 presidential candidate in a photo op line:
"So, Joan goes in the line and Joan says, 'I'm Joan Corey. I'm a vice president with the Teamsters Union,' and [Harris] pointed her finger at Joan and said, 'Teamsters better get on board,' and so Joan says, 'Excuse me?' 'Yeah, Teamsters better get on board. I don't know why you haven't endorsed me yet.' So she comes back, and she tells me this, and I'm like, 'The nerve!'"
'The View' Co-host Describes Harris Interview As 'Microcosm Of Everything That's Wrong' With Democratic Party
O'Brien, who has criticized the Democratic Party in the past, went on to claim that when Harris met with the union's executive board, which had prepared a slate of 16 questions, she only answered four questions.
Read On The Fox News App
"She really didn't answer the questions, and then on the fourth question my chief of staff slides me an index card and says, 'This is the last question. She's not answering anymore,' because she wanted to, like, pontificate and give her speech of why the country is the way it is, why we should endorse her."
O'Brien paraphrased her closing as essentially telling the union leadership, "'Listen, I'm going to win with you or without you.'"
"And it was like such a smug answer, like, okay, and that turned the majority of the people in that room off her," he said. O'Brien then described their postmortem of the meeting, noting that many in the union leadership were turned off by Harris' smug demeanor and body language.
"You could smell it a mile away," he said.
Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture
The Teamsters declined to endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential race, a move that sparked internal and external criticism.
"Once we announced that there was going to be no endorsement, that's when all the keyboard warriors came out and the attacks from the DSA and, you know, my friends that were allegedly my friends that were, you know, high-ranking senators of the Democratic Party," he said. "Once I spoke at the RNC, then I was, you know, no good."
Harris didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.Original article source: Teamsters boss says 'smug' Kamala Harris alienated union after saying they 'better get on board' in 2024
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Bomb Threats, Deep Fakes, and Cyber Threats Target Our Elections. Congress Must Act Now
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. American democracy runs on a simple promise: your vote matters. But that promise means nothing if foreign adversaries can hack our systems, if bomb threats shut down polling places, or if election workers flee their posts in fear. Right now, the infrastructure that protects this promise is at risk of collapse—threatening not just democracy, but Americans' power to influence everything from our local schools to the economy. Budget negotiations are now underway, and Congress has an opportunity to reverse this dangerous course before it's too late. Voting booths are pictured. Voting booths are frontline experience illustrates exactly what's at stake. The state's Republican Secretary of State Al Schmidt warned of "serious consequences" in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security. In 2024, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)—the federal agency created to protect our country's critical infrastructure, including election systems—helped Pennsylvania election officials respond to bomb threats on Election Day, quickly debunk a Russian-manufactured fake video targeting Bucks County that claimed to show ballots being destroyed, and coordinate responses when election offices received envelopes containing suspicious white powder. CISA was created through bipartisan legislation and overwhelmingly approved by Congress. The agency serves as the backbone of America's election security infrastructure, providing cybersecurity assessments, threat intelligence briefings, and physical security support. It coordinates critical information sharing between federal, state, and local officials. Last year alone, it conducted over 700 cybersecurity assessments, 1,300 physical security assessments, and provided weekly vulnerability assessments to nearly 1,000 election officials. These networks give local officials real-time threat intelligence and rapid response coordination. This has never been more important. Foreign adversaries including Russia, China, and Iran are conducting increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks against election infrastructure. In Western Pennsylvania, the Iranians hacked the Aliquippa Water Authority. Physical threats are mounting too—from bomb threats and vandalism to suspicious packages targeting election offices. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, now is the time to prepare. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening. As Schmidt noted, "No state has a national or global perspective on the nature of threats and the capabilities of bad faith actors." Local jurisdictions lack both the funds and expertise to replace federal programs that provide global threat assessments and coordinate responses across thousands of election offices. Yet the Trump administration has systematically gutted this security infrastructure. CISA has been hit by funding cuts from DOGE, the elimination of partnerships with states, mission changes away from countering misinformation, and hostility from Trump himself over the agency's affirmation of 2020 election results. Nearly 1,000 people—one-third of CISA's workforce—have already left the agency. Election security activities remain frozen, and funding for information sharing networks has been terminated. The Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center—which provided free cybersecurity services to cash-strapped communities—has been shuttered entirely. Meanwhile, the president's proposed budget seeks massive cuts to election funding, including an 18 percent cut to CISA's funding and complete elimination of election security grants. There's strong bipartisan precedent for robust federal election security funding. The largest election security investment in recent history—$825 million—happened under President Donald Trump in 2020. Republican and Democratic election officials across the country are now calling for restored support for election security programs. Congress must act immediately. First, Congress needs to restore CISA's election security activities and rebuild the workforce of advisors who serve as critical contacts for local officials during incidents. Second, Congress must appropriate at least $825 million in Help America Vote Act funding, matching the successful 2020 investment. Third, Congress must include a requirement ensuring two-thirds of funds go directly to the local officials who actually run our elections. Pennsylvania faces particular targeting as a key swing state, but every state depends on federal coordination and expertise that only agencies like CISA can provide. States and local communities shouldn't be abandoned and forced to face foreign adversaries and domestic threats alone. Congress has the power to restore the defenses that keep our elections secure. Our democracy has survived for nearly 250 years because each generation defended it when it mattered most. Congressman Chris Deluzio represents Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district. Brian Lemek is the executive director of Defend The Vote Action Fund. The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Iran Issues New Warning Over 'Trump Bridge'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Iran has warned its neighbor against welcoming the American military into its territory to develop a new U.S.-backed economic corridor dubbed the "Trump Bridge." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told his Armenian counterpart on Monday that Washington may pursue hegemonic goals in the Caucasus under the guise of economic investment, Iranian state media reported on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump brokered peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan last week. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department and Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment. Why It Matters The United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement on Friday to end decades of conflict in the South Caucasus. The deal grants an American consortium exclusive rights to develop and control a strategic land route known as the Zangezur corridor, which the White House is calling the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity." The corridor will link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia, but the proposed economic project has drawn sharp criticism from Tehran for its proximity to Iran's northern border and over the possibility of new U.S. military infrastructure appearing there. Although Iran's Foreign Ministry cautiously welcomed the peace accord between its northern neighbors, Pezeshkian's warning echoed a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader a day earlier, who threatened to turn the area into a "a graveyard for the mercenaries of Donald Trump." What To Know In a call with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, Pezeshkian emphasized the need to block foreign military or security presence in the corridor, according to a readout carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. After Trump announced the peace deal last week, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the new route would respect "Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its people." The agreement prohibits the deployment of foreign military forces along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border or in the corridor, an area that has historically seen a large Russian peacekeeping presence. The land corridor running through Armenia's Syunik province and bordering Iran's northern East Azerbaijan province is billed by the United States as a chance to boost regional trade and economic integration. It is expected to further enhance Baku's economic and strategic reach while reducing Iranian and Russian influence in the region. Iran's Foreign Ministry last week expressed "concern over the negative consequences of any form of foreign intervention, especially near its shared borders, that could undermine the security and lasting stability of the region." FILE - In this photo released by the Iranian Army on Aug. 25, 2022, a drone is launched from a warship in a military drone drill in Iran. As protests rage at home, Iran's theocratic... FILE - In this photo released by the Iranian Army on Aug. 25, 2022, a drone is launched from a warship in a military drone drill in Iran. As protests rage at home, Iran's theocratic government is increasingly flexing its military muscle abroad. That includes supplying drones to Russia that now kill Ukrainian civilians, running drills in a border region with Azerbaijan and bombing Kurdish positions in Iraq. More Iranian Army/AP Photo What People Are Saying Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian: "One must make sure that this route will be really the route of peace and development, not a tool for the realization of the hegemonic objectives of outsiders." White House spokesperson Anna Kelly: "The roadmap they are agreeing to will build a cooperative future that benefits both countries, their region of the South Caucasus and beyond." What Happens Next The deal is yet to be formally ratified and but political tensions may grow if the United States successfully increases its presence on Iran's doorstep.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
DNC chair takes steps to restrict corporate and dark money in 2028 primaries
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin will ask party members later this month to take the first step towards restricting corporate and so-called dark money spending in the 2028 presidential primaries, siding with progressives in an ongoing intraparty debate over campaign finance rules. Martin will introduce a resolution at the DNC's August meeting calling on a new reforms panel to explore ways the party can eliminate corporate and dark money donations from the upcoming presidential primary cycle, according to a draft obtained by CNN. Progressives, including Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, have called on the DNC to ban super PAC spending in Democratic presidential primaries for years. Those calls have grown in the wake of increased spending from cryptocurrency groups and pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC in Democratic primaries. The draft resolution does not explicitly mention super PACs, and it's not clear whether it will ultimately restrict super PAC spending in party primaries. The draft concedes the 'only way to solve for this problem in the long term is through Congressional action, including a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United,' the landmark 2010 Supreme Court case that helped usher in a new era of big money in American elections. Sanders – a former Democratic presidential candidate – and seven Senate Democrats wrote Martin and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in June asking the committee to launch a process to develop ways to enforce a ban on super PAC spending in primaries. Critics within the party have argued that limiting super PAC spending would put Democrats at a disadvantage with Republicans. They've also noted the challenge in enforcing such a ban. Democratic candidates cannot coordinate with super PACs, but big money groups have become key parts of presidential campaigns, to the benefit of both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in 2024. Former DNC Chair Jaime Harrison called the June letter from Sanders 'performative' and urged Democratic lawmakers to pass legislation in Congress. 'The DNC can pass a resolution… a strongly worded resolution and what will be the impact,' Harrison wrote on X at the time. 'Those same PACs will do whatever the hell they want to do. So what other 'action' can the DNC take that will produce the result suggested?!' Martin's resolution, if passed, would task the new panel to explore exactly what those other actions might be. It calls on the Committee on Reforms to 'identify and study … real, enforceable steps the DNC can take to eliminate unlimited corporate and dark money in its 2028 presidential primary process.' The reforms panel would also develop a list of legislative goals to present to Congress. The committee would present its proposals to the full DNC next summer. DNC members will vote on the resolution during their summer meeting in Minneapolis, which will take place from August 25-27.
