BELVIDERE, Illinois, Nov 9 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Thursday backed the United Auto Workers' efforts to unionize carmakers Tesla (TSLA.O) and Toyota (7203.T) and asked auto workers to reject his Republican opponent, Donald Trump. En route to the event, Biden told reporters that he “absolutely” supports the UAW's efforts to unionize Tesla and Toyota workers. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the remark by Biden, who has backed UAW efforts in other speeches. Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, visited a nonunion factory in Michigan in September while Biden joined a picket line with striking UAW workers, Biden reminded workers. MUSK'S ANTI-UNION STANCEBiden's comments may renew friction between the U.S. president and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, especially as the UAW seeks to organize Tesla workers.

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Persons: Joe Biden, carmakers Tesla, Donald Trump, Biden, Shawn Fain, unionize Tesla, Tesla, Trump, Fain, Elon Musk, Musk, Biden sparred, UAW's Fain, Mark Burton, Gretchen Whitmer, Burton, Nandita Bose, Susan Heavey, David Shepardson, Sayantani Ghosh, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Ben Klayman, Matthew Lewis Organizations: United Auto Workers, Toyota, Republican, UAW, Democratic, Union, U.S, nonunion, GM, National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, Trump, Labor, Biden, General Motors, Ford, Dodge, Michigan, San, Thomson Locations: BELVIDERE , Illinois, Belvidere , Illinois, Belvidere ., Michigan, U.S, Georgetown , Kentucky, Tesla’s Fremont , California, Honigman, Washington, San Francisco