A Teamsters Boss Delivers Rare Speech to R.N.C.

Sean O’Brien closed the first night of the Republican National Convention with an address that was decidedly not the usual Republican fare, which he called attention to by telling the crowd in Milwaukee that he was the first president of the Teamsters union to address such a gathering.

Mr. O’Brien acknowledged at the outset that his presence had roiled his union, angered many on the left and sparked protests from anti-union voices on the right. He had asked for invitations to address the conventions of both parties, and he has not yet received a response from the Democrats, who gather next month.

His praise of former President Donald J. Trump — “In light of what happened to him on Saturday, he has proven to be one tough S.O.B.,” Mr. O’Brien said — will not sit well with some leaders of his 1.3 million-member union. Nor will his praise for some other Republicans, including Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri and Representative Nicole Malliotakis of New York.

But the Teamsters leader also laced into corporate America for having what he called no allegiance to the United States. He lamented that “Americans vote for a union but can’t get a union contract,” and he mourned workers who are fired for labor organizing.

“That is economic terrorism at its worst,” Mr. O’Brien said — rhetoric not usually heard in the halls of a Republican convention.

At first Mr. O’Brien’s remarks were well-received, particularly as he talked about the criticism he would receive from Democrats for speaking at the convention. But as he continued to speak, the audience fell largely quiet, a marked contrast to the enthusiastic applause and cheers for other speakers.

A few moments that were clearly intended as applause lines were greeted with just a few claps or