Wednesday 6 July 2022 10:27 PM Biden tears in Republicans in Ohio speech trends now

President Joe Biden tore into Republicans during a speech in Ohio on Wednesday as he tries to woo blue-collar voters to the Democrats' side in November midterm election.

Frustrated with high inflation, those voters have blamed Biden for their woes and given him low marks for his handling of the economy.

Biden, trying to keep Congress in his party's hands, pushed the blame on Republicans and on Donald Trump, his predecessor in the White House.

'The previous administration lost more jobs in his watch than any administration since Herbert Hoover -- that's a fact,' Biden said. 'All based on failed trickle down economics to benefit the wealthiest Americans.' 

In fact, Trump was dealing with a nation-wide shutdown that came during the covid pandemic, which caused businesses to shutter and jobs to be lost.

Biden appeared on stage in Cleveland with union workers, a friendly crowd that gave him a loud, rousing standing ovation when he appeared. 

He was there tout his efforts to protect retiree's pension plans - specificially the American Rescue Plan's Special Financial Assistance program, which will protect millions of workers in multiemployer pension plans who faced significant cuts to their benefits.

'When unions do well everybody does well! Not a joke. Not a joke,' Biden said, doing his signature voice raise to put emphasis on his words.  Biden said 'not a joke' at least nine times during his remarks.

Nearly 2 million workers in Ohio will benefit from the administration's actions, the White House says.

Biden slammed Republicans in Congress for not supporting his pension plan and blamed their fear of losing to Trump-backed candidates in Republican primaries. At least eight GOP incumbents have lost after they angered the former president.

'Who do they think they are? Who do they think you are for God's sake?,' Biden said of congressional Republicans.

He accused the lawmakers of calling pensions 'ratholes' while the bill was moving through the legislative process.

'Not one single solitary Republican voted' for it, he noted. 'They're afraid, too afraid to because the Trumpers was literally take them out. Not a joke. That's how bad it's got.'

He also slammed Trump for his Trump tax cut, which Biden said helped only the wealth. 

'My predecessor had a chance to act,' he said but only did 'tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.'

President Biden chatted with Jill Biden in the Jacqueline Kennedy Rose Garden at the White House on Wednesday before he left for Ohio.

The couple spoke for several minutes before he boarded Marine One to head to Joint Base Andrews for the flight to Cleveland.

Unusually, President Biden, with a folded-up newspaper in hand, exited the White House from the East Wing, where the first lady's offices are based. Typically presidents exit from the West Wing, where the Oval Office is located, or the diplomatic reception room, which is downstairs from the private residence on the upper floors. 

Jill Biden, wearing a green suit jacket and yellow skirt with a flower pattern, did not accompany Biden on his trip. She returned to her East Wing office area as Biden walked toward Marine One.

It's his sixth trip to the swing state of Ohio as president.

Ohio has been trending red - Donald Trump carried it in the last two presidential elections - but it's also home to Biden-type voters: middle-class voters from union-heavy households whose swing-voting habits decide elections.

Biden needs those voters to help Democrats maintain control of Congress in November's election.

But questions are being asked - among Democrats themselves - on how much the president can do to help the party at the ballot box as voters voice their frustration with the state of the country.

Democrats fret that could result in losing control of Congress.