Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, delivered Monday’s opening remarks at the Republican National Conventiondelivering one of the most anti-big business speeches in recent RNC memory and becoming the first head of state in the organization’s 121-year history to address the convention.
The Teamsters, who have yet to endorse a candidate in 2024, have backed Democrats in recent years. But as the Republican Party’s rhetoric has become more populist, O’Brien has been invited to speak at the RNC as Republicans vie for union votes. O’Brien said he doesn’t believe in “knee-jerk” loyalties to unions.
“Today, the Teamsters are here to say that we are not beholden to anyone or to any party,” O’Brien said. “We are going to create a program and work with a bipartisan coalition that is ready to accomplish something real for American workers. And I don’t care if I’m criticized.”
O’Brien touched on issues that typically don’t sit well with Republican voters. He lambasted big corporations like Walmart and Amazon. He chastised the Chamber of Commerce, calling it “unions for big business.” And he said Washington doesn’t care about workers.
“The American people are not stupid, they know the system is broken,” he said. “We all know how Washington is run. Working people have no chance of winning this fight. That’s why I’m here today, because I refuse to continue doing the same things that my predecessors did.”
Former President Donald Trump, making its first appearance Since Saturday’s assassination attempt, members of Trump’s family have given O’Brien’s speech a standing ovation. Trump’s allies and family members sitting in the VIP box have done the same.
“President Trump is a candidate who is not afraid to hear from new, strong and often critical voices, and I think we can all agree that whether people like him or not, in light of what happened to him on Saturday, he has proven to be a tough guy,” O’Brien said.
This phrase “SOB” triggered resounding applause and cheers in the convention hall.
A few months ago, O’Brien said he had asked to speak at both the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention. Trump invited him to speak, he said.
“President Trump had the courage to open the doors to this Republican convention, which is unprecedented,” he said. “No other candidate running would have invited the Teamsters into that arena.”
Ultimately, O’Brien said, the Teamsters don’t care whether a candidate has a “D,” “R” or “I” next to his or her name.
O’Brien’s speech signifies a shift within the GOP that has become more visible since Trump’s election in 2016. The party has moved from a message focused on business and Wall Street to a more pro-worker tone.
