Donald Trump hails American region as the new 'Golden Belt' at major rally
Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania on Friday to a friendly crowd of steel workers inside a steel fabrication plant in West Mifflin to celebrate a merger between Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel, a merger he once opposed
President Donald Trump has vowed to transform America's Rust Belt region into the "Golden Belt," as he touted a new deal with Japan’s Nippon Steel which he said would keep U.S. Steel under American control.
Speaking at a rally in Pittsburgh, Pennysylvania on Friday, Trump hailed the new partnership, saying it would create at least 70,000 jobs and add $14 billion dollars to the U.S. economy.
"We won't be able to call this section a Rust Belt anymore. It'll be a golden belt. It'll be a golden dome, right? It'll be part of a golden dome that we're building to save everybody's lives," he said.
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The president announced the agreement last week, which he said would involve “partial ownership” by Nippon.
It came months after he said he was “totally against" U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company.
Trump said the deal would maintain American control of the steelmaker, which is seen as crucial for industries including auto manufacturing.
Reports said the agreement would see Nippon buying U.S. Steel and spending billions on facilities in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas and Minnesota.
The United Steelworkers union has opposed the deal. Trump himself during his first term in the White House opposed the deal and the Biden administration had worked to block the planned merger between the Japanese steele company and U.S. Steel
During his campaign, Trump pledged to revitalize US manufacturing and continued his tough trade rhetoric on Friday promising to double tariffs on steel imports from 25% to 50%. The price of steel products has increased roughly 16% since he became president, according to the government’s producer price index
The fate of U.S. Steel could be a critical issue in the midterm elections for the Republican Party in swing states like Pennsylvania, which rely on industrial manufacturing.
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Pennsylvania Republican Sen. David McCormick said the plan was "great" for his state and the US steel industry.
A bipartisan group of senators had opposed Nippon Steel’s initial proposal to buy U.S. Steel for $14.9 billion after it was announced in 2023. During his remarks, Trump claimed domestic steel production was a "matter of national security."
Trump said jobs in Pittsburgh’s iron and steel mills were obliterated. He said the country was getting army tanks, boats and ships produced in China.
“The strong steel industry is not just a matter of dignity or prosperity or pride,” he said. “It’s, above all, a matter of national security.”
The president did not say whether the planned merger had been finalized and there are no details on how much control U.S. Steel will retain. But he nonetheless hailed it as “an incredible deal for American steelworkers.”
Trump said all steelworkers would keep their jobs, there would be no layoffs and all facilities would remain open. He also said every U.S. Steel worker will soon receive a $5,000 bonus.
He said currently operating blast furnaces will remain at full capacity for at least 10 years.
“You’re not going to have to even think about that. Frankly it won’t matter, because they’re going to be here for a long time, a lot longer than that,” Trump said.
