Biden to meet Wednesday with top union leaders as he seeks to reassure worried Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing pressure from within his own party to abandon his reelection campaign, President Joe Biden is relying on labor unions to help make the case that his record in office matters more than his age.

The 81-year-old Democrat is set to meet Wednesday with the executive council of the AFL-CIO, America’s largest federation of trade unions.

The AFL-CIO said the president has been booked to attend the meeting for more than a year, but his participation now involves much higher scrutiny after his weak debate performance against Donald Trump raised fears about his ability to compete in November’s election. His sit-down with union officials also overlaps with the NATO summit in Washington, where Biden is navigating geopolitics with other world leaders.

A person who has been involved in past executive council meetings described them as largely informal and unscripted, a sign that Biden will not be able to rely on a prepared text as he seeks to solidify support among a group of union leaders who are both loyal to his administration and pragmatic. The person insisted on anonymity to preview the private meeting.

A White House official, insisting on anonymity to preview the meeting, said that Biden intends to thank the union leaders for their support and outline his plans for the future. Biden is close to many union leaders who will be in the room, and considers AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler to be a personal friend.

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