President Joe Biden speaks at the Pieper-Hillside Boys & Girls Club Wednesday, March 13, 2024, in Milwaukee. is coming out in opposition to the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, saying in a statement to be released Thursday that the U.S. needs to “maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers.”
Thursday’s announcement, coming as Biden is campaigning in the Midwest, could have ripples in his race against the GOP presumptive nominee,. The Democratic president has made the restoration of American manufacturing a cornerstone of his agenda as he seeks reelection, and he has the endorsements of the AFL-CIO and several other prominent unions.announced in December that it planned to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.
Trump said earlier this year after meeting with the Teamsters union that he would stop the U.S. Steel acquisition: “I would block it. I think it’s a horrible thing, when Japan buys U.S. Steel. I would block it instantaneously.”, which was once home to multiple General Motors plants and where he hopes his backing from union workers can resonate with voters.