President Joe Biden, while addressing a group of union workers in Pittsburgh on Monday, shared a surprising anecdote about his great-grandfather, Edward Francis Blewitt, and his rumored connection to a notorious group of Irish coal miners known as the Molly Maguires.
The New York Post reported that President Biden humorously expressed disappointment that the rumor was untrue, drawing mixed reactions from the audience.
During his speech, Biden claimed that his great-grandfather was once rumored to be involved with the Molly Maguires, a group of Irish immigrants who violently retaliated against oppressive mine foremen in Pennsylvania's coal mines during the late 19th century.
Biden noted that the rumor was part of a campaign against Blewitt, who was the second Catholic elected to the Pennsylvania state Senate in 1906.
The president recounted the alleged actions of the Molly Maguires, who were said to kill foremen who mistreated Irish Catholic miners and leave their bodies on the doorsteps of their families.
Biden added that, despite the accusations, his great-grandfather was not actually involved with the group, expressing light-hearted disappointment at the truth.
"Kind of crude," Biden remarked as he described the Molly Maguires’ brutal tactics. "I gotta admit they accused my great-grandfather of being a Molly Maguire — he wasn’t, but we were so damn disappointed."
Biden, who has often shared personal stories during his speeches, assured the audience that the anecdote was meant as a joke.
Both Vice President Kamala Harris and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler reacted visibly during the president’s remarks, with Harris laughing and Shuler appearing momentarily taken aback.
In addition to the humorous anecdote, Biden used the moment to highlight the struggles faced by Irish Catholics working in Pennsylvania’s coal mines. According to Biden, these miners were frequently mistreated by their foremen, many of whom were backed by English mine owners.
"A lot of the English owned the coal mines," Biden explained. "And what they did was they really beat the hell out of the mostly Catholic population in the mines. Not a joke."
Biden went on to discuss the harsh conditions Irish miners faced, emphasizing that their treatment by English supervisors was a significant source of tension. This, he noted, led to the formation of the Molly Maguires, a group of recently arrived Irish immigrants who resorted to violence in retaliation for the abuse.
The president’s anecdote about his great-grandfather ties into a broader narrative about the difficult experiences of Irish immigrants in the United States. Blewitt, Biden’s great-grandfather, was a prominent figure in Pennsylvania politics and served as one of the earliest Catholic lawmakers in the state.
In 1906, when Blewitt ran for a seat in the Pennsylvania state Senate, political opponents spread rumors that he was involved with the Molly Maguires, Biden recalled. However, despite the accusations, Biden made it clear that his great-grandfather had no ties to the violent group.
"He went out of his way to prove that he wasn’t [a Molly Maguire], and we were all praying that he was," Biden joked, drawing laughter from some members of the crowd.
This was not the first time Biden has shared this anecdote. A 2020 story in *Irish American Magazine* confirmed Biden’s earlier recounting of the rumor surrounding his great-grandfather. The publication noted that Biden first told the story in 2008, while on the campaign trail with former President Barack Obama. However, the punchline differed slightly in the previous retelling, with Biden choosing a different humorous angle at the time.
Throughout the speech, Biden kept his tone light, ensuring the audience understood that the anecdote was not meant to be taken too seriously. "That was a joke. That was a joke," Biden repeated, in an attempt to clarify his comments and keep the mood jovial.
The audience’s reactions to Biden’s tale varied. While some, including Vice President Harris, appeared amused by the story, others seemed caught off guard by its unexpected content. AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler, for example, was visibly surprised when Biden described the brutal tactics of the Molly Maguires, with her head snapping back after his comment.
Biden’s tendency to weave personal anecdotes into his speeches is a hallmark of his communication style, often aiming to connect with his audience by sharing relatable, if sometimes unconventional, stories from his family’s history.
