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Teamsters union president gives update on heated exchange with GOP senator: We could've acted differently

Teamsters President Sean O'Brien reflects on his meeting with Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin after the two traded barbs during a hearing in the Senate.

After nearly coming to blows during a hearing on Capitol Hill in November, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien says he met with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., following the fiery exchange.

During his appearance on "Cavuto: Coast to Coast," Tuesday, International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O’Brien praised host Neil Cavuto for "facilitating a ceasefire" between himself and the Oklahoma senator.

"We actually did meet and get together. And, look, there's a lot of things we agree to disagree on. I think the one thing we agree on is that, you know, we're both in positions where, you know, maybe we could have acted a little differently in those hearings," O’Brien said.

The pair made headlines last year after Sen. Mullin confronted the Teamsters president over an "X" post laced with jabs.

"Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, and we can finish it here," the GOP senator told the Teamsters president during a Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing after reading a tweet in which O'Brien said he could take the senator "any time" or "any place."

We "have a constituency" to serve, O’ Brien said while detailing the meeting with Sen. Mullin.

"It was very cordial. And, hopefully we can work together. And that’s one of the focuses we’ve been working on as an organization, is building relationships," O’Brien described.

"Hopefully he can support some of our issues moving through the Senate. And, you know, he has a lot of union members of the Teamsters in Oklahoma. So, it helps him as well to be, you know, working with us on certain issues," he continued.

O’Brien has proposed the idea of attending the Democratic and Republican National Convention to pitch his case for unions, as the organization has not endorsed a political candidate for the 2024 election. 

"Our members vote – 1.3 million members nationwide, so I don't know why anyone would not take the opportunity to hear us and listen to our wants and needs moving forward," O’Brien expressed.

"It's not about politics with us, you know, we don't want to be utilized as political rhetoric or who's going to help working people. We want to make sure people understand that regardless [of] if you have a 'D' or an 'R' we need your help," he added.

Fox News Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report

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