Donald Trump Comes Face-to-Face With Union Blow

Former President Donald Trump came face-to-face with the union blow that has long loomed over his 2024 presidential bid after the United Auto Workers (UAW) endorsed President Joe Biden in the race.

UAW President Shawn Fain appeared at a political event in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to announce that the nation's largest auto union would back Biden's re-election campaign, telling union members, "This choice is clear—Joe Biden bet on the American worker while Donald Trump blamed the American worker."

Up until Wednesday, Fain had withheld an official endorsement for Biden, who became the first sitting president to join a picket line last fall when he visited UAW workers outside Detroit. Fain, who has spoken critically of Trump, had signaled it would be unlikely for the former president to receive the union's endorsement.

"There's zero chance the UAW will endorse President Trump," Art Wheaton, Cornell University's director of labor studies, previously told Newsweek during the strike. "If you read any of the statements from Shawn Fain, that will tell you that he is not going to endorse former President Trump. While there are issues with Democrats in [Fain's] mind, they pale in comparison with the issues on the Republican side."

Following the formal endorsement, Wheaton told Newsweek, it was "no surprise" UAW backed Biden whose appearance at the picket line "helped cement his image of supporting UAW."

"Not everyone in the UAW will be happy but the vast majority support the decision," Fain said.

On September 15, auto workers walked off the job at all big three automakers for the first time in UAW history.

Biden, who has long touted himself as the most pro-union American president, is looking to benefit from the endorsement which carries significant political implications in Michigan, a swing state that Biden narrowly won in the 2020 election. The Midwest state is also home to a large Arab American population, which has threatened to derail Biden's 2024 plans in protest to his response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Steve Mitchell, Michigan-based pollster and CEO of Mitchell Research & Communications, previously told Newsweek, "Given the close nature of the presidential race in Michigan in 2016 and 2020 and the current dead heat, if Biden were to anger the UAW and not secure their endorsement or support, it could tip the scales in favor of Trump in 2024."

Trump has previously made optimistic remarks about an endorsement from UAW— telling auto workers in the fall, "Your head man, Shawn, he's a good man, but he's got to endorse Trump"—but Fain closed the doors on those hopes.

"This November we can stand up and elect someone who stands with us and supports our cause, or we can elect someone who will divide us and fight us every step of the way," Fain said Wednesday. "That's what this choice is about — the question is who do we want in that office to give us the best shot of winning."

Fain spoke about Trump's union track record, criticizing his remarks both as president and before he joined politics. During his remarks, Fain told the audience to "pay close attention" to the screen, saying, "I want to show you a picture of what Trump said and what actions he took to help the American autoworkers striking at GM when he was president" before blank squares appeared on the projectors.

"He said nothing, he did nothing, not a damn thing because he doesn't care about the American worker," Fain shouted.

The union boss has previously said that he would not freely hand out endorsements and avoided commenting on his allegiance with either party. On Wednesday, Fain said, "If our endorsements must be earned, Joe Biden has earned it."

Update 01/24/24 4:34 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Wheaton.