\'Truth over lies.\' Biden kicks off 2020 campaign

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SEEKING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S NOMINATION SAYING: "If I'm gonna be able to beat Donald Trump in 2020, it's gonna happen here!" Joe Biden on Monday gave his first official speech as a 2020 presidential contender before a crowd of Teamsters in Pittsburgh.

The former Vice President and Democratic frontrunner appeared moments after being endorsed by the firefighters union, (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SEEKING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S NOMINATION SAYING: "I am a union man!

Period." ...and called organized labor the 'backbone' of America as he counts on it for major support.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SEEKING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S NOMINATION SAYING: "The country wasn't built by Wall Street bankers, CEOs and hedge fund managers, it was built by you" Biden laid out his vision for bolstering the middle class through a minimum wage hike and affordable education, and vowed to reverse Trump's tax cuts for the wealthy, calling Trump 'the only President who decided not to represent the whole country.'

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SEEKING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S NOMINATION SAYING: 'The stock market is roaring, but you don't feel it.

There was a two trillion dollar tax cut last year.

Did you feel it?

Did you get anything from it?

Of course not.

Now the only people who benefit when a company does well are the CEOs and the shareholders.

The people at the top.

The only people who get hurt when a company gets hit by hard times are workers.

It's a one-way street these days.'

Pennsylvania, where Biden was born, a key battle ground for Democrats after Trump flipped it red in 2016 for the first time since 1988.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SEEKING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S NOMINATION SAYING: "Everybody knows who Donald Trump is.

We have to let them know who we are.

We Democrats, we Independents who have the same view, have to choose hope over fear, unity over division and maybe most importantly, truth over lies." Trump had Biden on his mind way before the Pittsburgh event kicked off, tweeting 4 times earlier in the day about 'Sleepy Joe' and deriding 'dues sucking' union leadership for supporting Biden over him.

Biden replied once, tweeting, 'I'm sick of this President badmouthing unions.'

Biden will head next to the early-voting state of Iowa.