President Donald Trump appears to have accepted an invitation by U.S. Steel CEO Mario Longhi to visit the company’s mining operations in Minnesota, according to a video webcast of a meeting between Trump and several manufacturing executives.
As Longhi introduced himself and the company he represented, Trump quickly took credit for work he said his recent executive orders would bring U.S. Steel.
“You’re going to be doing pipelines now, you know that,” Trump said to Longhi. “We put you heavy into the pipeline business because we approved, as you know, the Keystone pipeline and Dakota, but they have to buy — meaning steel, so I’ll say US steel — but steel made in this country and pipelines made in this country.”
Longhi interjected at first, saying the company is already in the pipeline business. He dovetailed on an offer by Doug Oberhelman, former CEO and now executive chairman of Caterpillar, to drive one of the company’s bulldozers. (To which Trump said, “I’ve been driving them a long time.”)
Longhi told Trump that while he is driving one of the Caterpillar bulldozers, he should also “come up to Minnesota and our mines.”
Trump accepted, though it’s unclear if he was merely being polite. “Good. I’ll do it. I’ll be out there.”
A White House spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment to confirm whether Trump would indeed travel to Minnesota’s Iron Range.
Based in Pittsburgh, U.S. Steel has two mines in Minnesota. Minntac in Mountain Iron and Keetac in Keewatin.
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