AK Steel was front-and-center at last night’s Trump rally.
“We saved 1,400 jobs at AK Steel right here in Butler,” Trump said to the crowd.
AK Steel workers were directly behind Trump all evening long, where the President also took his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, to task over the issue.
“Biden will close down AK Steel,” Trump said.
“How do you feel about that,” Trump asked the crowd which responded with a series of boos. “They don’t like that idea.”
Now, there still hasn’t been any formal announcement made in regards to the tariff policy on grain-oriented steel, nor has Biden made any comment surrounding the issue.
Democratic Senator Bob Casey said in a press release last Friday that “ As the President travels to Butler County, home to AK Steel Butler Works, I again urge him to take long overdue steps to ensure the United States does not lose its last remaining electrical steel manufacturer.”
“Together with my colleague, Senator Sherrod Brown, I have repeatedly stressed the importance of including downstream electrical steel products in the 232 to the President and senior Administration officials for the better part of three years. We are still waiting for the results of the Commerce Department’s 232 investigation, but Butler County workers can’t wait much longer. We cannot leave our workers at a competitive disadvantage.”
Still AK was mentioned multiple times throughout the evening, including from Congressman Mike Kelly, who touted the work of AK employees.
“They’re the guys that keep the lights on. They’re the guys that power our factories and our homes. They’re the guys that stand on their feet all day to make the greatest product in America all day right here in Butler, Pennsylvania.”
Earlier this year, AK Steel was bought out by Cleveland Cliffs, who threatened to shut down the plan if a loophole in the tariff policy wasn’t changed.
