President Joe Biden disclosed on Friday that he will be journeying to Michigan on Tuesday to join United Auto Workers (UAW) union members on the picket line.

This decision follows political pressure on the president to increase his public backing for the union members.

“Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create. It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs,” Biden said in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Biden’s upcoming visit, including the unprecedented presidential presence on a picket line, highlights a significant political opportunity as the strike against the nation’s three largest automakers—General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis—enters its second week, CNN reported.

This event is scheduled one day prior to former President Donald Trump’s address to an audience of current and former union members, including members of the UAW, in Detroit.

Trump, currently leading the GOP presidential race, has opted to forgo the second Republican primary debate in favor of the Michigan speech, as confirmed by his team earlier in the week.

On Saturday, the former president sharply criticized Biden’s intentions, alleging that Biden’s visit to Michigan was solely prompted by Trump’s earlier announcement of his own trip.

“Crooked Joe Biden had no intention of going to visit the United Autoworkers, until I announced that I would be heading to Michigan to be with them,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “If the UAW ‘leadership’ doesn’t ENDORSE me, and if I don’t win the Election, the Autoworkers are ‘toast,’ with our great truckers to follow.”

Written by staff