Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said Tuesday that the union had to do its “due diligence” and therefore did not automatically choose Biden as its nominee.
“I represent 1.3 million members and our membership is very diverse. We have a lot of Republicans, a lot of Democrats, some independents. So we have an obligation to do our due diligence and not just serve a portion of our membership. We have to listen to all of our members,” O’Brien said in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash the day after speaking at the Republican National Convention.
“Historically, I think we’ve been very clear that we don’t endorse candidates for president until after the conclusion of their respective party conventions, which is why we’ve asked him to speak at both the Republican and Democratic national conventions,” he added.
O’Brien said he had asked to speak at the Democratic National Convention but had not yet been invited. The Hill has reached out to the Democratic National Committee for comment.
O’Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention on Monday, a notable move given that the GOP endorsed Biden in 2020 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. The Teamsters president praised former President Trump, who survived an assassination attempt on Saturday, as a “tough motherfucker.”
“You’re free to hold any opinion you want, but one thing is clear: President Trump is a candidate who is not afraid to let new, loud and often critical voices be heard,” O’Brien said.
“And after what happened with him on Saturday, I think we can all agree whether we like him or hate him, he’s proven to be a really tough guy.”
During the interview, O’Brien acknowledged Biden has done a lot for labor unions, calling him “the most pro-worker president we’ve ever had.”
“The reality is, what’s been done in the past does not dictate what’s going to happen in the future. And — and I’m not saying this to President Biden or President Trump — what’s promised and what’s actually delivered are often different,” he explained.
“We want to respect everything that’s been done in the past, but everything that’s been done in the past doesn’t make me a sure choice for anything in the future.”
