Trump meets with Teamsters officials in DC

Former President Trump was set to meet Wednesday with leaders of the Teamsters union as he seeks the group’s endorsement in the 2024 election.

“Will be meeting with the Teamsters in D.C. today. So many of their Members vote for me. Should be very interesting!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The former president’s meeting is the latest indication he is hoping to peel away support from President Biden among organized labor. Biden routinely refers to himself as the most pro-union president in history, and just last week he secured the endorsement of the United Auto Workers (UAW).

Teamsters president Sean O’Brien met earlier this month with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. O’Brien said in a subsequent Fox News interview it was important for the group to hear from all candidates.

Trump is the dominant front-runner in the Republican primary and is on track to face Biden in a rematch in November.

The former president has angled to win over the support of working-class Americans in key swing states ahead of the general election. He traveled to Michigan amid an autoworkers strike last year, though he did not visit a union shop. By comparison, Biden met with workers on the picket line in Michigan.

Trump lashed out at UAW President Shawn Fain after the group endorsed Biden, calling him a “dope.”

“Donald Trump pretends to be pro-worker then sides with management and does nothing while factories close and jobs are lost,” Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, said in a statement. “Trump’s long record of attacking unions and shipping jobs overseas while lining the pockets of his rich buddies speaks for itself. While Trump spends his time attacking unions, President Biden is working every day to secure historic wins for labor and deliver for American workers.”

Updated at 6:04 p.m.