He was just your average Joe, for a few minutes at least.
President Joe Biden stopped by a Delaware union hall to celebrate Labor Day on Monday and show off his working-class roots.
Biden shook hands, took selfies and handed out sandwiches to dozens of electrical workers during an afternoon stop at an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers headquarters in Wilmington.
After Michael Simmons handed his phone to Biden, the president wished the union member’s mother a happy Labor Day.
“Mom, I wish you were here,” Biden said. “I just stopped by to thank these guys.”
Biden stopped by the union hall on his way back to Washington, D.C., at the end of the three-day holiday weekend.
For many Americans, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. But for union workers and the Democratic politicians who support them, it’s a chance to celebrate their everyman heritage.
Biden often trumpets his family’s working-class success story and fondly recalls his humble upbringing in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Claymont, Delaware.
Despite having long since become a powerful and wealthy politician, Biden still feels comfortable rubbing elbows and slinging hoagie sandwiches at the middle-aged working men who spent a slice of their weekends at union halls.
Union workers also form a crucial part of Biden’s electoral base.
He was able to win back just enough white men and women without a college degree from former President Donald Trump to win the White House. He’ll need to repeat the trick if he hopes to win a second term in 2024.
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