Gary Mayor Eddie Melton supported the merger, saying Nippon Steel had committed $300 million to upgrade the Gary Works steel mill.

By blocking a Japanese company’s takeover of U.S. Steel, President Joe Biden said he was protecting good jobs in the American heartland. He may be putting them at risk instead.

Why don’t you tell the American citizens — and the people of Granite City — what you’re going to do with our plant?” Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson asks of U.S. Steel.