Hey, look, number one, you know, the way I look at it — and I was thinking about this last night, knowing I’m going to be here and going from here to the NATO Summit.  You know, we have two strong, strong organizations in America that I look to for our security.

One, literally — and I mean this sincerely — is NATO.  NATO — a joint assembly of democracies that made sure we’re keeping the peace and no one is going to screw around with us — is the strongest it’s ever been.

And I think of you as my domestic NATO.  Not a joke.  Not a joke.  You’re the ones — you’re the ones.  Beyond me — and, you know — you — you know my with– this better than I do — beyond me, it’s all about whether or not we’re going to grow the economy, whether we’re going to give working people a shot…

…And here’s what we’re doing.  You are the — you’ve heard me say it a thousand times, but I’m going to say it again.  The middle class built this country.  You built the middle class.  (Applause.)  No, no, no —

And, by the way, I don’t want to hurt your reputations, but even Wall Street is acknowledging your power.  No, I’m serious.  Look at every projection about what we want to do with the economy on the issues that we’re talking about and what the other guy wants to do.  They’re supporting us.  It’s your agenda we’re working on…

…So, folks, I have real — I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s chances, not because of me, but because of what we’re doing together.  I really mean it.  We’re better positioned than any country in the world to own the remainder of the 21st century because of union labor.  (Applause.)  I’m serious…

… I promised that I was going to have a Cabinet that looked like America, and it does.  (Applause.)  More minorities.  More women.  More labor.  I’m serious.  Think about it.  That’s who we are.  That’s why we’re strong.  We’re diverse.  We’re strong.  We got to stop looking at it like it’s some problem; it’s an asset.  It’s an asset.  (Applause.)

Source: Remarks by President Biden Before a Meeting with National Union Leaders | The White House