Biden seeks union leaders' support to reassure concerned Democrats

President Joe Biden met Wednesday with the executive council of the AFL-CIO, America's largest federation of trade unions, to shore up support from a critical constituency as he beats back continued calls to step aside in the 2024 campaign.

I think of you as my domestic NATO not a joke, the 81-year-old Democrat told the crowd gathered at headquarters.

Hours later in the Oval Office, when a reporter asked him about an opinion piece written by George Clooney in which the actor implored Biden to leave the 2024 race, the president responded with AFL-CIO! paused, pumped his fists and added, Go, go, go.

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 .