Trump Fumes Over Firefighters’ Union Endorsement of Biden

He took out his anger with dozens of retweets, including one of an account called “Fuck Donald Trump.”

Douglas Christian/ZUMA

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

President Donald Trump’s simmering resentment after the country’s largest firefighters’ union backed Joe Biden’s presidential bid was on full display Wednesday morning, with the president furiously retweeting dozens of posts claiming to be authored by firefighters at odds with the International Association of Fire Fighters’ endorsement this week.

Trump kicked off the marathon of retweets by first complaining that the “dues sucking” IAFF was indebted to him.

The president’s frenzied social media activity came two days after the IAFF declared that Biden was the “strongest candidate” and had a “worker-focused platform.” Hours after the group’s announcement on Monday, Biden spoke at a Teamster union hall in Pittsburgh for his first speech as a 2020 candidate, telling the crowd that he chose the city for its “hardworking, middle-class Americans.” As Mother Jones reported from the scene, IAFF President Harold Schaitberger was among the speakers to introduce Biden at the event.

“He speaks to and connects with those workers who didn’t believe the last Democratic nominee heard about them, cared about them, and felt that their historic votes for the Democratic candidate were maybe just being taken for granted,” Schaitberger told the crowd.

Much to his critics’ delight, Trump’s ongoing anger over the IAFF’s endorsement appears to have had a blinding effect. His Wednesday morning retweeting spree swept up an account called “Fuck Donald Trump.”

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY...

Trump is clamping down on the media—using lawsuits, lies, intimidation, and a thuggish Federal Communications Commission. Corporate media are caving, but Mother Jones won’t back down. To help us stand strong, a generous board member has chipped in a $50,000 digital matching gift. Help us make the most of it!

Every contribution through September 30 will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

We have nearly 50 years of experience standing up to bullies. Government intimidation, nuisance lawsuits, threats to our nonprofit status—we’ve seen it all. Yet because we’re supported by a community of readers like you, we’re still here and still reporting like hell. Please stand with us. Every dollar you give will go twice as far.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY...

Trump is clamping down on the media—using lawsuits, lies, intimidation, and a thuggish Federal Communications Commission. Corporate media are caving, but Mother Jones won’t back down. To help us stand strong, a generous board member has chipped in a $50,000 digital matching gift. Help us make the most of it!

Every contribution through September 30 will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

We have nearly 50 years of experience standing up to bullies. Government intimidation, nuisance lawsuits, threats to our nonprofit status—we’ve seen it all. Yet because we’re supported by a community of readers like you, we’re still here and still reporting like hell. Please stand with us. Every dollar you give will go twice as far.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate