AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka claimed to be an ordinary American worker Monday while bashing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The AFL-CIO is one of the most powerful unions in the world. It consists of 56 associate unions and 12.5 million members. It also wields considerable political influence. Trumka has severed as president since 2009, but when attacking candidates he doesn’t support, he still likes to think of himself as just an ordinary American who speaks on behalf of average workers.

“The truth is, Trump wants to talk to people like you and me,” Trumka said in a video. “He targets people like us, but what is he really pushing. Trump says he’ll divide and deport immigrant families. He’ll build a huge wall on the border.”

Trumka makes $298,542 in total compensation annually, according to the Center for Union Facts. The average American worker in comparison makes $47,230 annually, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nevertheless, Trump has been able to hold a fairly consistent lead throughout the Republican primary. Republican voters include ordinary working Americans and those with considerably high salaries and significant political influences like Trumka.

“If we want to make America great again, we have to have a big conversation about our future,” Trumka continued. “And we can’t have that conversation if our ears and hearts are filled with hate and we look at each other with fear.”

Immigration policy has been a defining attribute of the Trump campaign. He has called for tougher immigration controls while also proposing a temporary ban on Muslims. The Muslim immigration ban proposal came in the wake of Islamic terrorist attacks across the globe. Critics on both sides of the aisle, however, have spoken out against his policy stance.

“If you want to talk to working people, talk to us about what you’re going to do to make a better future for our kids,” Trumka concluded. “A campaign fueled by contempt and exclusion is bad for working families and undermines the values that makes America great.”

Trumka urged Trump to focus on raise wages, increasing retirement security and making college affordable. He argued those are the issues ordinary American workers truly care about. Trumka is not the first major union boss to condemn the Trump campaign. International Association of Machinists President Tom Buffenbarger stated Dec. 10 the campaign is based on fear mongering and racism.

The AFL-CIO did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Caller News Foundation.

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