WASHINGTON, Sep 23 (AFP) - President Joe Biden announced on Friday he will travel to the US state of Michigan next week to show support for striking auto workers, a visit coming on the eve of a similar trip by his right-wing 2024 election challenger Donald Trump.
“Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of (United Auto Workers) as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create,” Mr Biden said on X, the site formerly called Twitter.
“It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs.”
Mr Biden’s announcement guaranteed that a strike already promising to be a major disruption to the US economy will now be the stage for a fierce political fight.
The UAW earlier on Friday had invited Mr Biden to come – an invitation that would have been politically difficult to turn down.
The day after Mr Biden’s stopover, his Republican rival Donald Trump, who is likely to face him for a rematch next year, will also visit the strikers.
Support for trade unions has been a hallmark of Mr Biden’s presidency. However, the Democrat is also the driving force behind government-funded efforts to spark a historic shift in the automobile industry to more environmentally friendly electric vehicles.
Mr Biden must now walk a thin line between maintaining his pro-union stance and hoping for a quick resolution to the strike before it can weaken the overall strong US economy.
Trump, meanwhile, is keen to eat into Mr Biden’s union base. Reacting to Mr Biden’s announcement, Trump spokesman Jason Miller said on X that the president was making “nothing more than a cheap photo op.”
“The only reason Biden is going to Michigan on Tuesday is because President Trump announced he is going on Wednesday,” Mr Miller added.
