Washington DC - International Brotherhood of Teamsters Vice President at Large John Palmer has announced he is launching a challenge to the labor union's General President Sean O'Brien amid backlash over the latter's decision to speak at the Republican National Convention.

"Having experienced two and a half years of General President Sean O'Brien's tumultuous presidency, I am announcing my candidacy for Teamsters national office in the 2026 election for officers," Palmer wrote in a letter shared on X by labor reporter Kim Kelly.

Laying out a host of grievances under O'Brien's leadership, Palmer said: "This has all culminated in his presence at the anti-union, anti-worker Republican national convention, kissing the ring of a man that scabbed a picket line, failing to pay workers, discriminating against people of color as a landlord, falsely accusing five black men in New York of murder, orchestrating an insurrection against the United States, dodging the draft, and appointing Union busters from the Jones Day law firm to create the most anti-union Labor Board in history."

O'Brien has faced widespread criticism for becoming the first president in the Teamsters' 121-year history to speak at the Republican National Convention. During his remarks, he railed against big business while praising real-estate tycoon and GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump as "one tough SOB."

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The following day, O'Brien stoked further controversy by endorsing an op-ed written by Republican Senator Josh Hawley which claimed that corporate efforts to "push diversity, equity, and inclusion and the religion of the trans flag" are hurting American workers.

"It's naive to believe that these folks at the RNC are going to help us in any way, shape, form, or manner," Palmer wrote in response. "We have successfully estranged ourselves from the rest of the labor movement through the actions of one man."

O'Brien also seems to have put aside his differences with Senator Markwayne Mullin after a series of high-profile confrontations during congressional hearings on labor issues. Last November, the Oklahoma Republican even challenged the union president to a fistfight before Senator Bernie Sanders broke up the argument.

The Hill reported that Mullin and O'Brien have since packed away the boxing gloves.

The former MMA fighter recounted to reporters at the Republican National Convention how he and O'Brien reconciled after an intervention by Trump. "'Hey, I just met with Sean. I’d like for you two to meet,'" the ex-president reportedly said in a call months back.

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"His point was he’d liked to bring the unions, the Teamsters, into the Republican Party, and so Sean and I worked out a deal to go sit down at a restaurant to talk," Mullin added.

The senator said he and O'Brien met for a long talk, during which the union leader "stood up and apologized."

"He said, 'Out of all of the people that I should have read their bio on I should read yours and I didn’t,'" Mullin recalled. "And I found it humorous and we sat down and we had a great two-hour conversation. Since then, him and I have talked very often."

O'Brien referenced Mullin in his convention speech, saying that both Democrats and Republicans need to "stand their butts up" to deliver for working Americans.