Concerns about President Joe Biden's ability to defeat Donald Trump in the U.S. elections this coming November are spreading. Among those concerned, the United Auto Workers (UAW), the union representing 400,000 American auto workers.
For the past two weeks, questions about the health of U.S. President Joe Biden have been plastered across the pages of every media outlet. Will he hold on to his nomination and run against former President Donald Trump in the November elections? And if so, will he win?
It's clear that the identity of the next occupant of the White House will have an impact on the automotive industry, simply because when it comes to electrification, the current president has implemented and supports initiatives, whereas the former president seeking to return to office has already declared that he will stop all measures favouring electrification.
The stakes are high, considering the billions currently being invested.
It was against this backdrop that UAW president Shawn Fain met with the union's executive board late Thursday to discuss his deep concerns about President Biden's ability to beat Trump in the November elections, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The union is currently considering its options for how to proceed, they said.
Fain and the UAW announced their support for Biden last January, making them important allies of the president. The union and its members can help him win key states, including Michigan where the UAW is based.
Neither the UAW nor the White House have commented on the matter.
Fain has been clear about his preferences for a long time. Back in January, he said that “Donald Trump stands against everything we stand for as a society.”
The question of whether Joe Biden will remain in the race is therefore crucial for the union, especially as current polls place him in a precarious position. Some polls claim that with another figure at the helm of the Democratic Party, the chances of victory would be greater.
So far, at least 12 Democratic members of the US Congress have called on Joe Biden to end his re-election bid. On Wednesday, actor George Clooney, a Democrat who has endorsed Mr. Biden, withdrew his support in an op-ed published in the New York Times.
There's clearly a lot happening behind the scenes, both in Washington and in Detroit.