SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
At a steel mill just outside of Pittsburgh last night, President Trump applauded a potential deal between U.S. Steel Corporation and Japan's Nippon Steel - one that he says would bring billions in investment from the Japanese company.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And it includes vital protections to ensure that all steelworkers will keep their jobs and all facilities in the United States will remain open and thriving.
SIMON: Now, Trump had opposed the deal as a candidate but now says it will be good for America and that U.S. Steel will still have an American CEO and a corporate board with a U.S. majority. But he was light on specifics and even admitted later, there is no final deal.
NPR's Don Gonyea's in Pittsburgh. Don, thanks for being with us.
DON GONYEA, BYLINE: Good morning.
SIMON: What's the reaction in steel country?
GONYEA: I've been in and around Allegheny County these past couple of days, and in West Mifflin, where a key U.S. Steel facility is located. So let's start there with the local mayor. His name is Chris Kelly.
What was your immediate reaction?
CHRIS KELLY: I started to cry. I mean, I've lived this for a year and a half, and I thought, wow, this is - I wasn't expecting it.
GONYEA: And he made it clear that they were tears of joy, he's talking.
SIMON: Did the mayor talk about how his community had been hurt by the decline of U.S. Steel?
GONYEA: Yeah. He's lived it. He grew up in a nearby town, where, he says, it was decades of decline. He says one mill after another closed, and more than 200,000 jobs disappeared.
KELLY: And I saw the devastation that came along with individuals losing their homes and their jobs, their cars, their families - you know, turned to drug abuse, eventually, domestic violences. And I didn't want to see that.
GONYEA: And he sees the new investments from Nippon Steel as new life.
SIMON: And what did people in the community tell you?
GONYEA: Most are only just learning some of the details, but it's welcomed. I met 55-year-old Malik Swain (ph) outside a local restaurant. He said it's good news, including what updating these old mills will mean for the environment.
MALIK SWAIN: I think it's good for the Mon Valley, actually. I think it's going to keep jobs there, grow it. They're also going to upgrade the facility. So I think that's a good thing as far as air quality goes, hopefully.
GONYEA: And then, Scott, I do want to note here that the United Steelworkers - the national union - has long been opposed to Nippon coming in, citing national security and allegations of unfair trade practices.
SIMON: Of course, Don, it's interesting that the president has really increased trade pressure on other countries. What do his supporters say about Nippon Steel - which is, after all, a Japanese company potentially - taking over what was a company that was once such a cornerstone of U.S. manufacturing.
GONYEA: And that was a big reason, during the campaign last year, that both candidate Trump and President Biden opposed this proposed deal with Nippon Steel. Now, though, such concerns seem to be overridden by the prospect of more jobs. But listen to this - I heard this from a local resident. His name is Mike Medich (ph).
MIKE MEDICH: I'm glad it's Japan rather than China because China has a lot of investments in our country, which I don't think they should have.
GONYEA: And I'll add here that Medich doesn't necessarily see this as a big engine for new jobs, but, he says, had this mill closed, that would have been a real blow to the community.
SIMON: NPR's Don Gonyea. Don, thanks so much for being with us.
GONYEA: It's a pleasure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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