Lame duck President Joe Biden aimed at former President Donald Trump during a campaign event in Pennsylvania Saturday and used his remarks to paint his predecessor as an anti-labor leader who, if he is re-elected, would renege on some of the union’s hardest-fought gains.
Speaking at a Pittsburgh event, the president repeatedly called Trump a “loser” who doesn’t care about union workers and wants to do away with benefits like pension plans and health care if he won his second presidential term.
“Donald Trump is a loser,” said Biden to the audience. “He’s a loser of a candidate, and he’s a loser of a man.”
“I’ve never been this direct,” added Biden. “But I tell you what, [Trump] is about making sure you push people down. He thinks the way you get ahead is to push people down.”
The president’s remarks were tailored explicitly to Philadelphia union workers, who are traditionally a reliable voting bloc supporting Democratic candidates. However, labor politics have recently shifted, particularly in Rust Belt states, in favor of Trump, with many workers citing his appeal to working-class voters and accessible rhetoric.
Some longtime unions have declined to endorse a candidate for president in 2024, citing the ideological split among their members.
Many also remain lukewarm about Kamala Harris’ campaign, viewing her as having made little effort to win their vote in the months since she entered the race for the presidency.
Biden’s speech focused on criticizing Trump
The president’s Saturday speech attempted to remedy Harris’s lack of effort, even though most of his remarks were focused on criticizing former President Trump, who he noted has tried “51 times” to eliminate union employees’ health care coverage.
“The last thing we need is for Trump to get elected, to take away all the things we’ve done,” said Biden. “How many of you have pensions now? How many of your families have pensions?” asked Biden.
Trump, said Biden, “opposes it.”
The president also made an indirect jab at Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and Trump ally, criticizing an unnamed “illegal worker” who has used his public persona and funds to stump for the former president.
“Turns out the wealthiest man in the world, now [Trump’s] ally, was an illegal worker here,” said Biden to the audience, although he didn’t mention Musk by name.
Musk is one of Donald Trump’s most high-profile supporters, donating over $118 million to a super PAC supporting his re-election.
The president’s speech featured unflinching criticism, something new from Joe Biden, who is now a lame duck in the final two months of his presidency.
That knowledge may have motivated the soon-to-be former president, whose voice grew stronger and louder as the speech continued.
“There is more to do, and Kamala is going to make it happen,” said Biden, imploring the crossed to vote in the November 5 election.
“I can think of no man who has thought less of the American worker,” said Biden of Trump, claiming he is a man with “no character” who “doesn’t give a d— about union members.”
