President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined forces on the campaign trail Monday in the marquee union town of Pittsburgh, making the case that their administration’s record on labor would again lift workers if Harris were sent to the White House.
It was a Labor Day showing in a battleground state on what is traditionally the political kickoff to the fall campaign season. But it was a tradition bypassed by President Donald Trump, who in an unusual move did not hit the trail either Sunday or Monday.
Trump does have several stops planned for later in the week, including in North Carolina and Wisconsin, as well as a town hall in Pennsylvania and a visit to the Economic Club of New York. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
In a rarity for the president, Biden spoke before Harris at the rally, a sign he is giving her space to shine as the two attempt to help Democrats retain power.
Biden personally vouched for Harris, pledging to help “from the sidelines.” After saying Harris had a spine like a “ramrod” and the morals of a “saint,” Biden held Harris’ hand, and the two hugged. Chants of “thank you, Joe,” broke out as Biden began his speech.
Harris rallied the crowd, saying Americans should thank unions for the five-day workweek, sick leave, paid family leave and vacation time.
Amid calls that Trump be locked up, Harris interrupted, saying: “The courts will handle that, and we’ll handle November.”
Harris urged Pennsylvanians to vote early, reminding them that early voting is not far off. Residents in the state will be able to begin casting ballots as early as Sept. 16.
Harris also downplayed any punditry about her campaign pulling ahead of Trump.
“We know this is going to be a tight race until the very end,” she said. “Let’s not pay too much attention to those polls.”
Recent polls have shown Harris has picked up ground since Biden left the top of the ticket. Harris has an edge over Trump, but the numbers remain within the margin of error.
Biden, who has long touted himself as the most pro-union president, spent part of the speech ticking through his contributions to labor. He tapped some old standby lines, including saying, “Wall Street didn’t build America; unions built America and unions built the middle class.” He reminded the crowd he was the first president to walk a picket line.
He also lauded building and investments during his administration, including in Pennsylvania, which has received $17 billion in infrastructure investments. Biden hit Trump for promising, but not coming through on, advancing infrastructure.
“He didn’t build a damn thing — nothing!” Biden said of Trump.
Biden said Harris was carrying the ball forward on defending labor rights, saying: “I’ll be on the sidelines. But I’ll do everything I can to help.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
