After President Trump returned to the White House, he adopted a tough stance against China, which has been dumping cheap steel and iron through tariff policies, as well as against Europe for imposing tariffs on American cars, in order to rectify long-standing unfair trade practices. U.S. lawmakers praised Trump’s policies, saying that they have revitalized steel companies in their congressional districts and restored confidence in the future among the American people.
Ohio Republican Congressman Mike Rulli published an article in “Newsweek” on Thursday, praising Trump’s tariff policy as a turning point for the once-declining U.S. steel industry and the entire country.
Rulli stated, “For decades, from Washington to Wall Street, the elites have sold out our workers through one-sided trade agreements, leaving these families to fend for themselves. But finally, Donald Trump emerged.”
He wrote, “Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda is not just about talking about these forgotten Americans but fighting for them. Today, many steel plants like JSW Steel USA in Mingo Junction are experiencing a revival under Trump’s tariff policy and the push to reshape the belief in the American Dream.”
The congressman pointed out that over the past few decades, factories in Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, which used to be the lifeblood of American industry, fell into distress due to globalization and one-sided trade agreements. Towns like Youngstown and Mingo Junction went from prosperity to decline, with numerous factories closing down, communities crumbling, and people struggling to make ends meet.
Rulli emphasized, “For decades, China has been dumping cheap, subsidized steel products into our market, Europe has been taxing American cars, while flooding our shelves with their goods. This is not free trade—it’s unfair trade.”
He said, “Finally, Trump’s policies have leveled the playing field, taking a tough stance against those who exploited our openness. The results are evident.”
According to Rulli, JSW Steel USA, located along the Ohio River, has seen a resurgence. Its CEO has implemented hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades to the factory and initiated expansion and new hiring plans.
He stated, “This is not just a factory—it’s a lifeline, restoring dignity, wages, and hope to families who never gave up on their hometowns. And all of this is attributed to Trump’s reciprocal tariff measures.”
Rulli remarked that what Trump has done since taking office “is not just about the economy—it’s about reshaping the American Dream.”
He said that although Trump has only been president for 100 days, he has completely transformed America: “Local young people are seeing a future for their hometowns for the first time. The political shift is evident. Ohio, once a purple state, decisively turned red in 2020. Former union Democrats, now working-class Trump supporters, are filling rallies.”
“They don’t want handouts—they just want a fair shot. They are tired of the Democratic party focusing more on global summits than Main Street,” Rulli added.
Rulli is confident in the “Golden Age” that Trump envisions: “Walking through the workshops of the JSW plant, I saw in the eyes of the workers the pride they feel in manufacturing products for America.”
He explained, “While critics continue to warn of short-term price increases, I think of the long-term cost of inaction—more broken families, more disappearing towns. The people of Ohio’s 6th District understand this. They see the blueprint that President Trump has drawn for lasting benefits because they believe in their work, communities, president, and country.”