Biden's account of his great-grandfather's involvement in a violent secret society incites controversy.
Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden attended a campaign event together in Pittsburgh.
At a Harris-Walz campaign event in Pennsylvania, President Biden shared a story about his great-grandfather being accused of being a member of a violent Irish secret society, which social media commentators found to be "insanely weird."
"Biden recounted to Harris-Walz supporters on Labor Day at a union hall in Pittsburgh how his great-grandfather was only the second Catholic elected statewide in the state Senate in Pennsylvania. He also remembered how they had labeled him a "Molly Maguire" when he ran for office in 1906."
In Pennsylvania, the Molly Maguires were a group of Irish immigrants who targeted and sometimes killed anti-Irish Catholic mine owners.
"Biden stated, "The English owned the coal mines and brutally mistreated the predominantly Catholic population there. This was not a joking matter.""
Biden elaborated on how the Molly Maguires protected Catholic immigrants from Protestant mine owners and supervisors.
If the foreman was taking advantage of an individual, the Molly Maguires would kill him, not as a joke, and bring his body to his family's doorstep.
Biden joked, "Although a bit rough around the edges, I must admit that my great-grandfather was falsely accused of being a Molly Maguire. Despite this, we were still disappointed." The union workers chuckled at his humor.
"That was a joke," Biden repeated to the crowd.
The Molly Maguires, a notorious and contentious group in Pennsylvania, were responsible for the 1877 execution of six individuals accused of being members of the secret society.
The anecdote was described as an "insanely weird story" on X by social media commenters, while others accused the president of repeating a "tall tale."
The White House directed Planet Chronicle Digital to an Irish America Magazine article that reported on Biden's great-grandfather and his ties to Pennsylvania and the Molly Maguires.
In 2020, Irish America reported that Biden's great-grandfather, Edward Francis Blewitt, had a strong connection to Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the turn of the century. Blewitt held several important positions in the community, including serving as chairman of the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in 1897, being elected to the state senate in 1906, and co-founding the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Scranton in 1908.
Biden's great-great-grandfather James Finnegan relocated to Scranton, where the Molly Maguires resided, and it was said that his son was a member of the clandestine organization.
It is said that Biden's great-grandfather, Edward Francis Blewitt, was a member of the Molly Maguires. Born in Louisiana, Blewitt's parents, Patrick and Catherine (nee Scanlon) Blewitt, were from Ballina, Co Mayo.
Biden has previously cited his grand-grandfather while campaigning, specifically in 2008 when he was Obama's vice presidential running mate.
In 2008, in Virginia, he stated, "I am a hard-coal miner, specifically anthracite coal, from Scranton, Pa. I hope you won't hold this against me."
"Coal country is a familiar place to be back in. Although the accent in Southwest Virginia is different, the essence remains the same. We were taught that our faith and family were the most important things, and these values shaped our actions."
He went out of his way to disprove the alleged connection of his great-grandfather to the Molly Maguires, and we were all hoping that he was innocent.
Biden withdrew from the presidential race in July due to growing doubts about his mental abilities, prompting traditional Democratic allies in Congress and the media to urge him to step aside for another candidate. Following his departure, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who was subsequently named the Democratic Party's official nominee at the DNC in Chicago last month.
Since dropping out, Biden made his first campaign appearance for Harris in Pittsburgh on Monday.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news and exclusive interviews from the 2024 campaign trail at our Planet Chronicle Digital election hub.
politics
You might also like
- Speaker Johnson faces opposition from Republicans in political statement.
- UN agency funding restoration bill backed by Dem lawmakers: 'Absolutely necessary'
- GOP candidate gains ground on Sen. Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, according to consecutive polls.
- A Republican official from a swing state denounced any involvement in a pornography scandal and dismissed it as "sensationalized gossip."
- The former head of Border Patrol criticizes the Biden administration for allegedly concealing information about migrants with suspected links to terrorism.