President Joe Biden recounted a colorful and controversial family anecdote during a speech to union workers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday, reviving a story about his great-grandfather's rumored connection to the notorious Molly Maguires—a secretive group of Irish-American coal miners infamous for their violent actions against mine foremen in the 19th century.
The 81-year-old president, speaking alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, joked that he was "disappointed" to learn that his great-grandfather, Edward Francis Blewitt, was not, in fact, a member of the group. "I remember when my great-grandfather was only the second Catholic elected statewide in the state Senate here in Pennsylvania", Biden began. "And I remember they talked about – when they'd run against him in 1906 – they said, 'Guess what? He's a Molly Maguire.'"
Biden went on to describe the Molly Maguires as a group that "literally" killed mine foremen who mistreated workers, leaving their bodies on the doorsteps of their families. "Kind of crude, but I gotta admit they accused my great-grandfather of being a Molly Maguire – he wasn't, but we were so damn disappointed", Biden quipped, prompting mixed reactions from the audience. Shuler, who was on stage with the president, appeared startled by the comment, while Harris laughed along with the crowd.
In an apparent effort to clarify his remarks, Biden quickly added, "That was a joke. That was a joke."
The president's anecdote has historical roots, as a 2020 article in Irish American Magazine corroborates that his great-grandfather was once rumored to be associated with the Molly Maguires. The same story notes that Biden told a similar tale on the 2008 campaign trail with a slightly different punchline. "He went out of his way to prove that he wasn't [a Molly Maguire], and we were all praying that he was", Biden said to a crowd of Virginia coal miners at the time.
The Molly Maguires, a group of Irish-American miners, became notorious in the 19th century for their alleged involvement in violent actions against oppressive mine owners and foremen in Pennsylvania's anthracite coal region. The president's anecdote, while intended as a light-hearted recollection, touches on a complex and contentious chapter of labor history, illustrating the persistent tensions between labor and management that have shaped the American labor movement.
Biden's remarks in Pittsburgh were part of a broader speech aimed at rallying union support, as the president seeks to solidify his standing with labor groups ahead of the 2024 election. The Molly Maguire reference, however, added an unexpected and controversial twist to the event, reflecting Biden’s penchant for personal storytelling that occasionally treads into contentious territory.
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