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Teamster Chief’s RNC Address Signals Tectonic Political Shift
In its 121-year history, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has never addressed the Republican National Convention…until 2024.
“Sean O’Brien, Teamsters union chief, becomes first Teamster to address RNC,” Kathryn Watson wrote for CBS News on July 15, 2024. “Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, gave Monday’s keynote speech at the Republican National Convention, delivering one of the most anti-big business speeches in recent RNC memory and becoming the first boss in the organization’s 121-year history to address the convention.”
Though the news went largely unreported by major media outlets, the address signaled a staggering shift since 2020.
“The Teamsters, which hasn’t endorsed a candidate so far in 2024, has endorsed Democrats in recent years,” Watson admitted. “But as the Republican Party’s rhetoric has grown more populist, O’Brien was invited to speak at the RNC as Republicans vie for union votes.”
The Teams have done far more for the Democratic Party than “endorsed Democrats in recent years.”
The Teamsters Union has been a major backbone of the Democrat Party for decades.
“Today, the Teamsters are here to say we are not beholden to anyone or any party,” Sean O’Brien…