President Trump in an early morning Twitter spree on Wednesday retweeted 58 messages expressing support from rank-and-file firefighters after a top union’s leadership backed former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential bid.
Each of the nearly five dozen tweets that Trump shared came in response to a post from Fox News contributor Dan Bongino, who said that “NONE of the Firemen I know are supporting Joe Biden for President,” despite the International Association of Fire Fighters’ (IAFF) endorsement of Democrat’s campaign.
{mosads}Trump has been fixated on Biden’s candidacy in recent days and has sought to dispel his support among organized labor. Several of the tweets shared by the president acknowledged union leadership backed Biden, but asserted that members did not.
Tuesday morning’s Twitter barrage began with a message from Trump in which he slammed the leadership of the IAFF, which did not endorse a candidate in 2016.
“I’ve done more for Firefighters than this dues sucking union will ever do, and I get paid ZERO!” Trump tweeted.
He followed that up by sharing 58 messages from other accounts replying to Bongino.
“That’s why I am not in the IFFA. Don’t want my $$$ going to dems,” an individual named Lee Wilkens tweeted.
“This is why more lawsuits are going to presented by union members because of misrepresentation by the top echelon of these unions!!!” Michael Canterbury tweeted.
One account promptly changed its name to “F— Donald Trump” after being retweeted by the president for sending a message of support.
The wave of retweets came between 6 a.m. and about 6:30 a.m., at which point Trump had moved on to quoting Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs.
Biden announced last week his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination, and he officially launched his campaign with an event on Monday in front of a crowd of union workers.
Trump swiped at Biden on Twitter four times ahead of the rally, claiming rank-and-file union workers preferred the president and questioning the media’s coverage of the former vice president.
The decision to ramp up his attacks on Biden suggests he views the former vice president as a major threat at the outset of the 2020 race.
Biden on Monday hit back at Trump’s criticism of union leadership, tweeting that he’s “sick of this President badmouthing unions.”
“Labor built the middle class in this country,” Biden tweeted. “Minimum wage, overtime pay, the 40-hour week: they exist for all of us because unions fought for those rights. We need a President who honors them and their work.”