What Do American Steelworkers Think About Trump’s Tariffs?
Steelworkers line the front row of a Trump campaign rally on October 19, 2024, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. (Win McNamee via Getty Images)
Big levies on steel exports may be ‘phenomenal’ for the industry, but workers also expect ‘some pain before you have good.’
“When it comes to steel, it’s fantastic for our industry,” said Jack Maskil, “but what about everything else?”
Maskil, the president of the United Steelworkers Local 2227 in Pittsburgh’s Mon Valley, is a Trump supporter, as are many steelworkers in western Pennsylvania. But he was surprisingly subdued when I asked him for his thoughts about the steep, across-the-board tariffs President Donald Trump announced last Wednesday. His question summed up both the hopes and fears of he and his steelworker brothers and sisters.
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