A prominent labor union endorsed President Donald Trump after blasting Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for falsely claiming that he had won their endorsement.
John Hughes, the leader of Boilermakers Local 154, announced on Sunday that he and the thousands of Pennsylvania blue collar workers the union represents will support Trump for reelection, because it “is imperative that we continue to battle over-regulations in the fossil fuel industries and fight for American energy production.”
He added that any claim by Biden that the Boilermakers Union would support his campaign are false.
“The other day I’m watching the debate and I see Joe Biden tell everybody that the Boilermakers endorsed him and that is not true,” Hughes said, referencing comments Biden had made during his town hall with ABC News. “And I would like somebody to tell me who — he said he talked to somebody — I’d like to know who he talked to in the Boilermakers because anybody I talk to did not endorse him.”
Biden had claimed during the town hall that the Boilermakers Union “overwhelmingly” supports him after being asked about his position on fracking.
“The Boilermakers Union has endorsed me because I sat down with them and went into great detail earlier to show their leadership exactly what I would do,” Biden said.
But Hughes pointed out that the Boilermakers Union has yet to make a union-wide endorsement, and that his chapter already endorsed Trump.
“And I believe if you go onto our International [Boilermakers] website we have not endorsed a candidate this round, nor did the International Boilermakers endorse a candidate last time,” Hughes explained. “We did not endorse Obama and Joe Biden last time because of their energy issues.”
Someone should tell @JoeBiden that here in PA the Boilermakers he claims are overwhelmingly supporting him endorsed President @realDonaldTrump last month. pic.twitter.com/yWhB5PKTlx
— Lou Barletta (@LouBarletta_PA) October 16, 2020
