President Biden worked to appeal to union workers on Friday, criticizing former President Trump for inheriting his wealth.
The president painted a picture of his upbringing compared to Trump’s while speaking at a conference in Washington, D.C., for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), a large labor group that supported his re-election bid.
“Some people learn very different lessons as you and I grow up,” the president said. “They learn, and my opponent learned, that the best way to get rich is to inherit. I can’t argue with them too much, but, eh…
Trump began his business ventures with a $1 million loan from his father, Fred Trump. He supposedly received at least $413 million from his father over time.
“They learn that paying taxes is for workers, not the super rich. They learn that telling people you’re fired is something to laugh about. Not where I come from. Not where I was raised,” Biden said, raising his voice from the podium.
On Trump’s popular reality show “The Apprentice,” he fired contestants with his signature style in a boardroom.
“I think that’s how they see the world of Park Avenue and Mar-a-Lago, but I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware. Working-class and middle-class cities, like many of you, too,” Biden said, speaking to unionized workers.
“Nobody gave you anything, you paid your taxes and knowing you were fired was not entertainment, it was a devastating nightmare for a family,” added the president.
He took more jabs at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, to compare it to Scranton. The president traveled there earlier this week to campaign, during which he argued that Republicans want to raise taxes on working-class Americans.
“Guys, where we come from matters. That’s why when I look at the economy, I don’t see it through the eyes of Mar-a-Lago, I see it literally through the eyes of Scranton, where I grew up, and my grandfather’s kitchen table,” the president said. “I see this through the eyes of workers like you and the basic values you represent – honesty, decency, hard work, faith. It matters.”
Biden has been working to rebuild the coalition that brought him to the White House in 2020, with an eye on unionized workers. In 2016, union families began to shift from blue to red, leading to Trump’s victory in states like Michigan, which Biden won in 2020.
The president often says he is the most pro-union president in history and made history last year when he joined a picket line to strike with auto workers.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
