Democrats head to the picket line as UAW strike gets underway

All eyes on Friday are turned to Missouri, Ohio and Michigan, where union auto workers at three manufacturing plants began striking overnight.

So far, at least two prominent Democratic senators -- and one Democratic Senate hopeful -- have joined or announced plans to join picket lines.

Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin posted a video on social media on her way to meet with striking workers in Wayne, Michigan at a Ford assembly location.

"The workers who are striking are doing the most American thing in the world and just asking that if they're going to work hard every single day that they be able to participate in the American dream, the security of the middle class," Slotkin, who is running for Senate, said in the video.

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who leads the Senate Democratic campaign arm, posted a video and photos from the picket line.

"It's great to be here on day one," Peters said in the video, "Standing in solidarity with the union members, members of the UAW who are standing up for fair wages and benefits."

Another lawmaker, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, also joined workers on the picket line in Toledo, at a Stellantis plant that manufactures Jeeps.

Brown faces a tough re-election battle as a Democrat in deep-red Ohio, where Republicans have yet to select his challenger in a primary.

The visits by three top Democrats to picket lines on Friday signals the Democratic Party will continue to tout it's pro-labor roots and agenda, as it seeks to win working class voters back from more populist Republican candidates.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Meanwhile, several Republican presidential candidates frowned upon the strike, with former President Donald Trump telling NBC News' Kristen Welker that he doesn't support the union's president, Shawn Fain.

"I think he's not doing a good job in representing his union, because he's not going to have a union in three years from now. Those jobs are all going to be gone, because all of those electric cars are going to be made in China," Trump said.

And, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who is running against Trump for the GOP nomination, held a manufacturing roundtable discussion in South Carolina this morning where he looked down on the strike for not promoting a culture of hard work.

"We're seeing the UAW fight for more benefits and less hours working. More pay and fewer days on the job. It's a disconnect from work, and we have to find a way to encourage and inspire people to go back to work," Scott said, according to NBC News' Nnamdi Egwuonwu.