Joe Biden, Donald Trump compete for Teamsters endorsement in 2024 presidential election

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden met with members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Tuesday as he and former President Donald Trump compete for the union’s endorsement in the 2024 presidential election.

Biden, who frequently refers to himself as the most pro-union president in history, met with union leaders and rank-and-file members during a roundtable discussion behind closed doors at the union’s headquarters in Washington.

"The president shared that he is committed to continuing to support workers and standing with labor if elected to a second term,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement.

The hour-long meeting included discussions about protecting workers' right to strike, preserving Social Security, curbing excessive executive compensation and opposing "right to work" legislation, the statement said.

The 1.3 million-member union is one of the largest labor unions that has yet to endorse a 2024 presidential candidate.

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Trump met with the Teamsters in January. The union also has hosted roundtables with other candidates, including independents Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West.

O'Brien told Reuters after the Trump meeting that the union still had questions for both Trump and Biden, and that "we've got a long way to go before we make a decision."

In Tuesday's statement, the union said it is conducting national polling of its membership and will begin working with its 360 local affiliates to convene town halls to hear directly from as many members as possible in the lead up to the 2024 race.

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In January, Biden picked up the endorsement of the United Auto Workers in a major boost for his efforts to court working-class voters in Michigan and other Midwest battleground states. The endorsement came just four months after Biden joined auto workers on a picket line in Michigan in their strike against the nation’s three largest automakers.

UAW President Shawn Fain said Biden "earned" the backing of UAW while slamming Trump as "a scab" who "doesn't care about the American worker."

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @mcollinsNEWS.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden seeks Teamsters endorsement in 2024 presidential election