Washington — Donald Trump will meet with Teamsters Union members in Washington Wednesday afternoon to try to steal Biden's support as he looks past the GOP race and toward a possible general election rematch.
The former president will hold a roundtable with the group's executive board, president, and rank-and-file members to target blue-collar workers who helped him win in 2016 and are expected to play a major role in November, especially in Midwestern swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan.
56% of union members and households supported Biden in 2020. With early AFL-CIO and other endorsements, Biden has organized labor support. Trump hopes to cut into that support by portraying himself as pro-worker and escalating union leader-member divides. He urged UAW members to dismiss president Shawn Fain on Sunday after the organization backed Biden.
Shawn Fain doesn’t understand this or have a clue,” Trump commented on Truth Social. Remove this stuff and vote for DJT. I will revive our auto industry.” Wednesday's subjects include the declining middle class, salaries, antitrust, bankruptcy, and union rights.
Our members want to hear from all candidates of all parties about what they plan to do for working people as President,” Teamsters president Sean O'Brien said. “Our union wants every candidate to know that 1.3 million Teamsters nationwide will not be ignored. Workers' voices matter.
Biden has called himself the most labor-friendly president in history, even joining a Detroit picket line last year. He had his own session Wednesday by invitation. Biden campaign spokesman Lauren Hitt said Biden “looks forward to meeting with the Teamsters and earning their endorsement,” but time was “TBA.”
O'Brien met privately with Trump at Mar-a-Lago this month to discuss right-to-work laws that allow unionized workers to avoid dues and taxes. Trump uploaded a side-by-side photo of them with thumbs-up signs online. After the meeting, O'Brien told Fox Business that it went “fine” and stressed the necessity of open conversation.
Our cards are on the table. He stated it was a straightforward encounter. He stated, “He claimed he was 100%... supportive of unions, but history obviously, you take a look back and there’s certain issues we have with him.
STAY TURNED FOR DEVELOPMENT