Internet divided as Biden slams Trump for 'getting rich by inheriting' in address to IBEW members

WASHINGTON, DC: During his speech at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers' (IBEW) Construction and Maintenance Conference on Friday, President Joe Biden made several remarks on his opponent in the 2024 general election, former President Donald Trump.

Both candidates are currently vying for union endorsements in preparation for the upcoming election, hoping to secure the support of blue-collar workers in key battleground states, according to a report by Colorado Springs Gazette.

It is worth noting that IBEW previously endorsed Biden in 2020 and again in 2023, shortly after he announced his reelection campaign.

What did Joe Biden say against Donald Trump in his address to IBEW members?

While alleging that former President Trump "never lifted a finger" to support labor unions while in the White House, Biden claimed that during the previous four years, he has created "tens of thousands" of well-paying union jobs boosting the US economy.

"Matter of fact, he lifted a finger to put a thumb on it," the POTUS remarked. "Not only that, he put union busters on the National Labor Relations Board. The people I've appointed to the National Labor Relations Board actually care about American workers."

President Biden continued to criticize the Republican party and his predecessor for their opposition to his efforts to extend debt relief to millions of individuals with student loans.

Additionally, the 81-year-old Commander-in-Chief expressed his intention to revise the Trump-era tax cuts and outlined the key characteristic difference between himself and the 77-year-old MAGA figurehead.

"My opponent learned the best way to get rich is inheriting. I can't argue much with that, but they learned that paying taxes is for working people, not the super-wealthy,” Biden said.

He continued, “They learned that telling people, 'You're fired,' is something to be laughed about. Not where I come from. Not where I was raised. I guess that's how they look at the world from Park Avenue and Mar-a-Lago.”

"But I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware. Working-class, middle-class towns, like many of you did as well. Nobody handed you anything. You paid your taxes, and being told you were fired wasn't entertainment. It was a devastating nightmare to a family," the United States president argued.

"I see through the eyes of working people like you and the basic values that you represent: honesty, decency, hard work, faith," Biden added.

"It matters. Fairness matters. And if you believe like I do, everyone in America deserves just an even shot, no guarantees, just a shot, but guaranteed to have a shot. In America, we leave nobody behind where we come from," he concluded.

Biden has been actively working towards rebuilding the coalition that propelled him to the White House in 2020, with a focus on union workers.

During the 2016 presidential elections, union households had begun shifting from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, leading to Donald Trump's victory in states such as Michigan. 

However, in the 2020 presidential elections, Joe Biden successfully won these states back by garnering support from union workers.

President Biden frequently asserts that he is the most pro-union president in American history. 

Last year, he made a significant contribution to this claim by joining a picket line to strike alongside auto workers, which demonstrated his unwavering support for labor movements and their rights.

Internet weighs in as Biden tries to appeal to union workers by going scorched earth over Trump

One X user remarked, "I don’t think he has to try very hard.. trump held a supposed pro worker rally at a non-union plant."

Another user snarked, "I’d rather inherit than become wealthy through corruption, coercion and bribery like Biden Inc."

Another user wrote, "Yeah, he's qualified to lecture us on taxes when his son owes the IRS millions."

One user said, "Biden is a decent man. Trump isn't. It's that simple a distinction."

Another X user claimed, "I paid a higher tax rate than Trump. His supporters are ok that he doesn't pay his fair share."

Finally, this user tweeted, "Joe Biden has never signed the front of a paycheck. He has been an entitled, rich politician, his entire working life."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.