Biden warns union members that Republicans are ‘coming for your jobs’ in 2024 campaign speech in Philadelphia

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox

Get our free Inside Washington email

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Joe Biden got his 2024 presidential re-election campaign underway in Philadelphia on Saturday by continuing to pitch voters on his pro-labour bonafides.

The Democrat told an audience of union members at the Philadelphia Convention Center he would keep trying to boost the working and middle class with “Bidenomics,” which he framed as opposed to the ideas of Republicans, who recently unveiled a series of tax proposals that would funnel benefits overwhelmingly to the wealthiest Americans.

“They are coming for your jobs. They are coming for your future. They are coming for the future we are building for your kids and grandkids,” Mr Biden told the crowd. “And when they come as they did this past week with the trickle down economics plan, cut taxes for the rich, who do you think they are carrying the water for?... Who do you think is going to start carrying the burden? You are. Working people in this country.”

According to an analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, under the recent tax proposals from the GOP, the richest fifth of Americans would receive $60.8bn in benefits next year, while the poorest would receive nearly 60 times less.

“We decided to replace this theory with what we call Bidenomics, I don’t what the hell that means, but it’s working,” Mr Biden said with a laugh, arguing the economy could be rebuilt “from the bottom up and middle out, not top down.”

“When the middle class does well, everybody does well,” he added. “The poor have a way out. The wealthy will do just fine.”

During the event, Mr Biden cited initiatives like the bipartisan $50bn semiconductor manufacturing investment bill signed last summer as evidence of his attempts to back American workers.

Earlier that day, Mr Biden was on a helicopter tour to inspect a collapsed stretch of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia.

At an event that followed with local officials, Mr Biden said the stretch of highway, which was engulfed in flames when a fuel truck exploded, will be open in two weeks.

“I’ve directed my team ... to move heaven and earth to get this done as soon as humanly possible,” Mr Biden said in brief remarks after the flyover. “There’s no more important project right now in the country as far as I’m concerned.”

General election polls show Donald Trump and Joe Biden neck-and-neck for hypothetical support during the 2024 election.