"Finish the job": Biden addresses friendly union crowd in first speech since 2024 announcement

President Biden's first speech since he formally announced his reelection bid Tuesday was to a friendly crowd as he addressed the North America's Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference at the Washington Hilton near the White House. Mr. Biden took the stage to chants of, "Let's go, Joe," and another chant of "four more years" broke out as he spoke and urged the crowd to let him "finish the job," his new campaign slogan. 

In what was billed as an official White House event and not a campaign stop, the president shared how he believes his administration's investments are bringing back manufacturing jobs and rebuilding the middle class, with occasional references to the opposition party and his predecessor and potential 2024 challenger, former President Donald Trump.

"Under my predecessor, Infrastructure Week became a punchline," Mr. Biden said. "On my watch, infrastructure's become a decade headline, a decade. And that's where you all come in. No, really. That's where you all come in. We've already announced over 25,000 infrastructure projects in 4,500 towns across America. And we're just getting started, not even close. Union workers will build roads, bridges, lay internet cable, install 500,000 electric vehicle chargers throughout America. And union workers are going to transform America. And union workers are going to finish the job!"