If you needed further proof that the tectonic political plates of America are shifting, Sean M. O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, spoke at the Republican National Convention last night. It was the first time in history that a president of the Teamsters Union has addressed the RNC.
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about making the GOP the party of working people. This would seem to indicate that people have been hearing that message.
Republicans have typically clashed with unions and there can certainly be debates on policy issues, but from a purely political perspective, this is a stunning development.
Axios reported:
Teamsters president Sean O’Brien savages big business in RNC speechTeamsters president Sean O’Brien delivered a fiery address to close out the first night of the Republican National Convention, castigating big businesses and corporate lobby groups for “waging a war against American workers” — and calling for labor law reform.Why it matters: O’Brien’s speech stood out among the partisan lineup because he did not endorse former President Trump, yet the Teamsters leader got the most speaking time of the evening.The big picture: O’Brien’s prominence at the RNC highlights just how important the labor vote is this November, particularly in pivotal swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
- The speech is the clearest sign of a potential realignment in political loyalties that has Democrats nervous.
Zoom in: While the Teamsters have endorsed Republican presidential candidates previously, a union president had never spoken at an RNC before.
O’Brien praised Donald Trump for inviting him to speak at the convention and even praised Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri for his support of working people. It was a little surreal. O’Brien noted that there are plenty of members of the Teamsters who are planning to vote for Trump, despite the union’s leadership, which has historically supported Democrats.
This was probably his biggest applause line of the night.
His speech was one of the longest ones of the evening, going on for about 17 minutes, but if you like, you can watch the whole thing below:
O’Brien was not even the only union member to speak at the event. Convention leaders invited a number of ‘Everyday Americans’ to speak at the convention and a man named Bob Bartels, a member of the Steamfitters Union and a lifelong Democrat, explained why he and other members of his union will be voting for Trump in November. Watch:
It feels like we are witnessing a political shift unlike anything we have seen in years.
Featured image via YouTube.
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