Teamsters President Speaks at RNC After Praising Vance

The union leader made a historic appearance, saying he was there to speak for the workers and warn of corporate power in politics.

General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sean O'Brien speaks during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, capped off the first night of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, warning of the threat of corporate power influencing politics and speaking for American workers, “both union and non-union.”

“I refuse to keep doing the same thing my predecessors did,” he said, adding that he and his union “are not beholden to anyone or any party.”