AK could be a reason Trump chose Butler
Many residents have been wondering why President Donald Trump would choose to hold a campaign rally three days before the election in a county he dominated in the 2016 election.
Trump is the first sitting president of the United States to visit Butler County.
He will arrive around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Doors to the event will open to ticket holders at 2:30 p.m. at the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport in Penn Township, where Trump will arrive by helicopter.
The time of the Butler County event was moved up from 7:30 p.m. because Trump added an 8 p.m. rally in Montoursville, Lycoming County, according to his campaign website.
Many comments on social media suggested Trump may have included Butler County as a rally site in order to make a positive announcement regarding AK Steel.U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly's communications director, Andrew Eisenberger, confirmed in an email Friday that a Trump announcement regarding AK Steel might be coming.Eisenberger said Kelly spoke with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer about AK Steel in anticipation of Trump's visit to Butler.“Following those conversations, Mike is optimistic that the president will have good news for the Butler community tomorrow (Saturday) night,” Eisenberger said Friday.In addition, AK Steel employees received an email Friday stating that Trump may make an announcement on steel tariffs.The email said Kelly was trying to garner a block of seats for AK Steel employees.
The Trump administration announced in May it would investigate whether imports of foreign electrical transformer parts threaten national security by circumventing tariffs meant to protect domestic steelmakers, including AK Steel.These same components are made at AK Steel's Butler Works, which is owned by Cleveland-Cliffs, the Ohio-based company that acquired AK Steel for $3 billion on March 13.AK Steel employs more than 1,400 in Butler County.Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey challenged Trump regarding AK Steel, saying Trump has yet to take action against electrical steel imports that threaten the jobs of steelworkers.“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,” Casey said on Friday.Casey said he and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, have repeatedly stressed the importance of including electrical steel products in the tariffs for the better part of three years.“We are still waiting for the results of the Commerce Department's (Section) 232 investigation, but Butler County workers can't wait much longer. We cannot leave our workers at a competitive disadvantage,” he said.
Al Lindsay, chairman of the Butler County Republican Committee, said he had heard about an AK Steel-related announcement, but could not confirm anything.Lindsay, who signed up for tickets to the Trump rally at the airport, said he thinks Trump chose Butler because he won every precinct in the 2016 presidential election.“I think he's coming because he knows he will be welcome here,” Lindsay said. “This is as pro-Trump as any place in America.”Asked what he hopes to hear Trump say at the rally, Lindsay summed up the likely thoughts of all who got tickets to the rally.“I hope he's going to say, 'We're going to win,'” he said.
