WASHINGTON: Joe Biden won the endorsement of America鈥檚 biggest car workers union Wednesday, as the race for the White House dramatically revved up following Donald Trump鈥檚 victory in the New Hampshire primary.

The Democratic president and his Republican predecessor both sought to portray a rematch in November鈥檚 election as inevitable, even if polls show a sequel of the traumatic 2020 contest is something most Americans don鈥檛 want.
After Trump left his only remaining challenger Nikki Haley in the dust in New Hampshire on Tuesday to cement his grip on the Republican nomination, it was Biden鈥檚 turn for good news in his bid for a second term.
Wearing a black union baseball cap, Biden, 81, stood with his arm aloft after the influential United Auto Workers union backed him in a major boost for his battle with Trump for the blue-collar vote.
鈥淟et me just say I鈥檓 honored that you have my back and I have yours,鈥� Biden said in Washington as union members chanted his name.
Earlier, they had booed each mention of 77-year-old Trump as powerful UAW chief Shawn Fain said that the tycoon and twice-indicted former president 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 care鈥� about workers.
Fain said Trump wanted to 鈥渟crew the American working class.鈥�

The endorsement came as the Biden campaign pivoted even more sharply toward an election battle with Trump, in the wake of the Republican鈥檚 second primary victory in a row.

Haley, Trump鈥檚 former UN ambassador, vowed Wednesday to fight on, but no Republican has ever won both opening contests and not ultimately secured the party鈥檚 nomination.
Trump previewed the divisive campaign rhetoric to come with a victory speech that attacked Haley for having a 鈥渧ery bad night鈥� and even lashed out at her dress.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 get too angry, I get even,鈥� Trump said.
Haley had hoped for a major upset in New Hampshire, but Trump won by around 54 percent to 43 percent.
She went back on the offensive Wednesday, heading to South Carolina, where she launched attack ads targeting Trump as 鈥渢oo much chaos鈥� as she tries to turn around weak polling in her home state ahead of its February 24 primary.
鈥淭rump is completely consumed by his own perpetual drama and grievances,鈥� Haley鈥檚 communications director Nachama Soloveichik said.

Biden meanwhile said it was 鈥渃lear鈥� he would be facing Trump in November, apparently relishing the chance of a rematch with the man he beat four years ago despite lackluster poll ratings.
US media said that the New Hampshire results held hope for Biden, with the divisive Trump failing to win over independents and moderate Republicans.
Biden鈥檚 campaign sees the UAW endorsement, and its campaigning muscle, as crucial to woo the working class voters who propelled him to power in battleground states in 2020 鈥� the cohort that swung to Trump in 2016.
The UAW this time held out for months on endorsing Biden amid disagreements over his push for electric vehicles. In the 2020 election it endorsed him despite a significant chunk of members being pro-Trump.
Biden has as a result relentlessly courted the union and became the first US president in history to appear on a picket line last year during its strike against the big three US car giants.
The union has also been at odds with Biden鈥檚 support for Israel鈥檚 offensive on Gaza after the October 7 Hamas attacks, officially calling in December for a ceasefire.
Biden鈥檚 speech to the UAW was briefly disrupted by pro-Gaza protesters before they were dragged away.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue to push for a ceasefire,鈥� Fain told reporters after his speech. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue to push the White House and hope that they join us.鈥�