Politics
12-minute Joe - Prez gives UAW strikers short shrift then jets off for fund raisers
By Jake Beardslee · September 27, 2023
In brief…
- President Biden briefly visited striking UAW workers in Michigan to highlight his blue-collar roots.
- The Commander-in-Chief immediately departed for high-dollar Silicon Valley fundraisers the same day.
- The UAW has not endorsed Biden's 2024 re-election bid due to his EV promotion.
President Joe Biden briefly joined striking auto workers on a picket line in Michigan Tuesday to reinforce his blue-collar credentials before departing to attend an upscale Silicon Valley fundraiser the same evening.
Biden shouted his support through a bullhorn to United Auto Workers members during his 12-minute appearance outside Detroit.
“Unions built the middle class. That’s a fact. So let’s keep going,” Biden told the striking workers. “You deserve what you’ve earned, and you’ve earned a hell of a lot more than you’re getting paid now.”
The UAW, however, has so far declined to endorse Biden’s 2024 re-election bid due to his promotion of electric vehicles, which depend on foreign-made batteries.
Former President Donald Trump, Biden’s expected challenger, will address union members today rather than participate in the tonight’s Republican primary debate. The White House refused to say whether Biden supports the UAW’s demands for a 40% raise and 32-hour work week, though he agreed the salary increase was deserved.
Biden then flew 2,400 miles to California for two days of fundraisers, including a sold-out event for his super PAC that required campaign donations ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per donor, according to his event website.
The fundraiser was held at a private residence in Atherton and hosted by Mark Heising, founder of the private equity firm Medley Partners, and his wife Liz Simons, daughter of billionaire Democratic donor James Simons.
Another Biden Victory Fund reception took place in San Francisco, hosted by Facebook co-founder Andrew McCollum and his wife.
Former President Obama also previously relied on contributions from Democratic stalwarts Heising and Simons, attending a fundraiser at each of their homes.