In a surprising turn of events, Vice President Kamala Harris held a closed-door meeting today with the leadership and members of the powerful Teamsters union in Washington D.C., raising speculation that an endorsement from the union may be on the horizon. Harris exited the 1.3 million-member strong union's building through a side entrance at 1:57 pm/ET, following what seemed to be an important discussion.

Although the meeting was not initially scheduled, last night's White House guidance stated that Harris would be in Washington, DC for internal meetings with staff, including a campaign meeting. Today, the Harris team released a statement confirming her participation in an International Brotherhood of Teamsters' candidate roundtable, matching the Teamsters' previous announcement made on September 5.

Notably, the Teamsters have a history of meeting with presidential candidates, including Donald Trump and President Joe Biden when he was the Democratic nominee. However, the union has yet to endorse any candidate for the upcoming election. There was controversy among union members after Teamsters President Sean O'Brien made an appearance at the Republican National Convention in July, marking the first time a Teamster leader had spoken at a GOP event. In his speech, O'Brien emphasized the union’s independence and commitment to its members, regardless of party affiliation.

Unlike the past, O'Brien did not attend the Democratic National Convention last month, and the decision to endorse a candidate has been left to the union's members. Although no official announcement has been made regarding the rank-and-file vote results, historically, the Teamsters have thrown their support behind Democratic candidates. However, with Harris now meeting directly with the union's board and O'Brien, rumors suggest that an endorsement could potentially come as early as this week, according to a well-informed source.

It is worth noting that the Teamsters have endorsed Republican candidates in the past, with their last endorsement of a GOP nominee occurring in 1988 when they supported George H.W. Bush. The union had also backed Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, as well as Richard Nixon in 1972 and John F. Kennedy in 1960.

The Teamsters' decision to donate to both the GOP's convention fund and the Democratic National Committee earlier this year has caused some discontent among members. However, political observers believe that the union's actions indicate a strategic move to hedge bets in an unpredictable election year rather than a significant shift in alliances. Earlier this year, internal polling indicated that a considerable number of Teamster members expressed their intention to vote for Trump. However, circumstances have changed since then, with Biden and Harris consistently voicing support for unions and deserving credit with Teamsters members.

While the Teamsters' national board is yet to endorse a candidate, other influential unions such as the United Auto Workers, the AFL-CIO, and the volunteer-run Teamsters National Black Caucus have already publicly thrown their support behind Joe Biden and subsequently transferred that endorsement to Kamala Harris when she became the Democratic Party's standard bearer in July.

As the election draws closer, Harris' meeting with the Teamsters signals a crucial interaction in her pursuit of the union's endorsement, a move that could significantly bolster her campaign against President Trump. The outcome of this meeting, coupled with the union's historic backing of Democratic candidates, will undoubtedly add an intriguing element to the race for the White House.