Teamsters head warns his union not ‘beholden’ to Democrats in RNC speech

Union chief shouts out Trump, JD Vance and Josh Hawley as leaders of populist right

Teamsters union chief Sean O’Brien made history on Monday when he delivered the closing address at night one of the Republican National Convention and applauded the new populist trend the GOP has adopted under Donald Trump.

"We are not beholden to any party,” O’Brien said on Monday — a remark that seemed a clear shot across the bow of the Democrats who criticized him for accepting a speaking slot at the convention. "I don't care about getting criticized. It's an honor to be the first Teamster in our 120-year-history to speak to the Republican National Convention.”

Trump, he added, was one “tough SOB”, a nod to the president surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday at a rally.

O’Brien went on to say that Democrats called him a “traitor” when news came out that he would speak at the RNC. And while he didn’t explicitly endorse Trump’s 2024 campaign, he has yet to receive a similar invite — though he says he has reached out — to the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled for August.

Teamsters chief Sean O’Brien became the first head of his union to ever speak before the RNC on Monday when he thanked Republicans for the party’s newfound populist bent (AFP via Getty Images)

He also called for an end to “corporate welfare” and sharply attacked “greedy” large businesses, calling their practices corrupt and anti-worker.

O’Brien spoke for one of the longest blocs of the night as he addressed delegates in Milwaukee for roughly a half hour, a massive political shift for both the labor movement, which has seen an ally in Joe Biden during his presidency, as well as the GOP itself, which as O’Brien pointed out during his remarks still includes many politicians who stand directly opposed to the existence and influence of labor movements.

“That must change,” he declared to the crowd.

And he made clear that the shift was a sign of things to come as the Teamsters chief shouted out other members of the Maga wing of the GOP - Senators Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall, as well as Senator JD Vance, who was announced as Trump’s running mate Monday evening.