The AFL-CIO announced it is backing Rep. Keith Ellison's bid to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee, The Washington Examiner reports.
The nation's largest labor federation said the Minnesota Democrat "meets the high standard" set by its 7 million members.
"He's a proven leader who will focus on year-round grassroots organizing to deliver for working families across America," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said. "Under his leadership, the Democratic Party will embody the values that our members stand for every day."
Ellison, a Muslim, has been under fire recently concerning speeches he has made in the past about Israel, the Examiner notes. The Anti-Defamation League has already announced it was opposing his efforts to lead the party.
The Examiner points out that in a 2010 speech, Ellison had said: "The United States foreign policy in the Middle East is governed by what is good or bad through a country of seven million people."
The ADL labeled the comments "both deeply disturbing and disqualifying," according to the Examiner.
And The Wall Street Journal noted: "Mr. Ellison's selection would further strain the Democratic Party's relationship with the Democratic Party's relationship with the Jewish community, one of the party's most loyal constituencies."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.