AFL-CIO endorses Clinton, calls her 'leader who shares our values'

Hillary Clinton now has the backing of the country’s largest group of labor unions.

On Thursday, the AFL-CIO, which represents 12.5 million workers, announced they were endorsing the presumptive Democratic nominee.

“Hillary Clinton is a proven leader who shares our values,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement. “Throughout the campaign, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to the issues that matter to working people, and our members have taken notice.”

Clinton responded to the group's announcement by saying she was "honored to have earned the endorsement."

“The AFL-CIO is one of America’s most vital organizations, having been on the front lines of the fight for good-paying jobs and careers with benefits and dignity for more than a century," she said in a statement.

The group's backing could be significant for Clinton in her fall campaign against Donald Trump. The presumptive GOP nominee has targeted working-class voters during his White House bid.

Trump responded in a statement Thursday afternoon that despite the endorsement, he still expected to get more AFL-CIO members' support than Clinton.

"Sadly with this endorsement of Hillary Clinton — who is totally owned by Wall Street — the leadership of the AFL-CIO has made clear that it no longer represents American workers. Instead they have become part of the rigged system in Washington, D.C. that benefits only the insiders," he said in the statement. "I believe their members will be voting for me in much larger numbers than for her."