Former President Trump lauded the Teamsters in a post Friday while announcing O’Brien had accepted an invitation to speak at the RNC, where the GOP will formally nominate Trump for president.
“When I am back in the White House, the hardworking Teamsters, and all working Americans, will once again have a country they can afford to live in and be respected around the world,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
A Teamsters spokesperson confirmed O’Brien would speak.
“This is truly unprecedented since it will be the very first time a Teamsters General President has addressed the RNC,” said Kara Deniz, the Teamster’s assistant director of communications.
The move challenges Democrats’ historic alliance with organized labor and threatens to undercut President Biden’s claim that he is the most pro-union president in history.
Biden visited the picket line during the United Auto Worker (UAW) union strike against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis last fall, a first for a sitting president.
The UAW endorsed Biden in January, and UAW President Shawn Fain took aim at Trump in his announcement.
“This choice is clear. Joe Biden bet on the American worker while Donald Trump blamed the American worker. We need to know who’s gonna sit in the most powerful seat in the world, and help us win as a united working class,” Fain said.
The Teamsters have yet to endorse a candidate in this presidential election, although they endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020.
Deniz said O’Brien had asked to speak at both party conventions, but he has not yet heard back from the Democratic National Committee.
“Our 1.3 million members represent every political background, and their message needs to be heard by as wide an audience as possible, and that includes all political candidates running for elected office,” Denis said. “We appreciate former President Trump’s openness to inviting a labor leader to speak on behalf of working families.”
The Hill’s Taylor Giorno has more here.
