President Joe Biden is struggling to attract donations from blue-collar workers, in a blow to the Democrat who once declared himself the “most pro-union president in American history.”
Among the 15 companies most frequently listed in campaign finance records, workers at heavily unionized UPS were the most likely to donate to Donald Trump in the second half of last year, according to Bloomberg News.
Google and Microsoft employees were the most likely to donate to Biden, and 90 percent of Google employees’ presidential donations went to the Democrat, according to the outlet’s analysis of public campaign finance records.
The divide is reflected not only in the candidates, but also in their parties, and in a continuing shift among blue-collar workers in heavily unionized sectors, away from Democrats and toward Republicans.
But it underscores a particular challenge for Biden, who has heavily touted his support for unions, as he tries to court key blue-collar voters in heavily unionized swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Among the 15 companies most frequently listed in campaign finance records, workers at heavily unionized UPS were the most likely to donate to Donald Trump (file photo)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai (L) and Apple CEO Tim Cook (R) are seen meeting with Biden in 2023. Ninety percent of political donations from Google employees went to Biden last year.
Last month, Biden won the endorsement of the United Auto Workers union, after appearing on its picket lines during a strike against Detroit’s Big Three automakers last year.
The support may pay off, as Bloomberg data shows that donations from General Motors and Ford workers were split almost evenly in the final six months of 2023.
But other heavily unionized companies, including American Airlines, showed more employee donations to Trump.
Trump was also favored among workers at Delta, Walmart and FedEx, which have large workforces.
Companies with the most employees that donated to Biden included IBM, Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo, Amazon and AT&T.
Bloomberg analysis shows that the professions most likely to donate to Trump are farmers, truck drivers, business owners, mechanics and construction workers.
Those most likely to donate to Biden are teachers, psychologists, social workers, scientists and writers.
Joe Biden speaks during a visit to a United Auto Workers (UAW) phone bank in metro Detroit, Michigan, on February 1, 2024.
Still, both Trump and Biden relied heavily on billionaires and others who can write large checks, according to the report.
For Biden, two-thirds of his fundraising for the second half of 2023 came from wealthy donors, including billionaires Haim Saban and George Soros.
For Trump, 46 percent came from mega-donors, including construction billionaire Diane Hendricks, oil magnate Timothy Dunn and Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus.
It emerged Thursday that the political action committee of the powerful International Brotherhood of Teamsters gave the Republican National Committee the maximum donation of $45,000 last month.
It was the Teamsters’ first major donation to a Republican cause in years, according to the Washington Post.
The Teamsters also sent $135,000 to the Democratic National Committee last December plus a $15,000 donation in March.
‘The Teamsters contributed $45,000 to the Democratic and Republican convention funds. “Our union has not participated in both conventions since 2000,” a Teamsters spokesperson said. Fox News Digital.
“At the Teamsters, the voices of all our members will be heard, regardless of party.”
Trump speaks to reporters at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters headquarters on January 31, 2024 in Washington, DC after meeting with union boss Sean O’Brien.
Sean O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, speaks with union members during a rally in Atlanta in July 2023.
Trump has been courting the Teamsters for their endorsement and last month met with the union’s head, Sean O’Brien.
O’Brien later described the conversation with Trump as “pleasant” and “direct,” but said the union was a long way from making a decision. He said he has additional questions for Trump and Biden, who have not yet set up a similar meeting.
‘There’s no doubt about it,’ he said, ‘there is union support for President Trump.’ And there is always union support for President Biden.”
But even as he praised Biden’s record, he added: “What you’ve done in the past does not guarantee your future with us.” “We want to know what they are going to do for our members in the future.”
The Teamsters have endorsed every Democratic presidential candidate since Al Gore in 2000.