WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden made Social Security a key part of his speech on Tuesday Teams leadership in a closed-door meeting as a powerful union pulls its 2024 endorsement.
Speaking to the board, Biden discussed labor and Social Security a day after former President Donald Trump He said in an interview with CNBC “There’s only so much you can do in terms of rights, in terms of cutting.”
Similar to his State of the Union address last week, Biden did not name Trump, instead referring to him as “the former president,” according to Teamsters Vice President John Palmer, who attended Tuesday’s meeting.
Palmer said Biden is “really passionate about Social Security,” referring to Trump’s recent comments. He added that Biden used what he called a “Joe-ism” when talking about Trump, saying, “Come on, man.”
Teamsters spokeswoman Kara Deniz said the union has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate for 2024, though it usually waits until after party conventions.
“There is a process we are following and the round table is part of it,” Deniz said when asked whether the union would follow its traditional schedule this year.
The Republican National Convention will be held in July, followed by the Democratic convention in August.
Some Teamsters want the union to back Biden “sooner than later,” Palmer said. He considers himself in this group.
“It’s important every day, especially to get in front of the members and explain to them why. I mean, the differences couldn’t be more stark,” Palmer said of Biden and Trump.
One Send to X Of Tuesday’s meeting, Teams said the union “is conducting a national membership survey and will begin working with 360 local union affiliates to call town halls to hear directly from as many members as possible in all states leading up to the 2024 race.”
“We appreciate President Biden taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with Teamsters members and leadership,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in the union’s post.. “The president shared his commitment to continue to support workers and stand with labor if elected to a second term.”
Trump met with Teamsters leadership in January. After the meeting he told reporters he believed he had a “good chance” of securing the union’s approval.
“Normally a Republican wouldn’t get that endorsement,” he said.
The union endorsed Biden in 2020. Four years ago, he endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
In a statement Tuesday, the Biden campaign said, pointing to other union endorsements the president has received, “We also hope to have the support of Teamsters.”
The campaign highlighted the president’s “historic, pro-union record,” including going to a Michigan auto workers’ protest last September.