Ex-Trump diplomat, Mike Pompeo, hired by Japan’s Nippon Steel to clinch US Steel purchase

Pompeo, who served as the top American diplomat under Trump, will be an adviser to the Japanese company for its US$14.1 billion purchase, according to people familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the move. The deal’s fate is unclear as it undergoes a national security review and faces opposition by the United Steelworkers union.

Nippon Steel confirmed the move in a written statement, praising Pompeo’s record. Pompeo said the US should expand its manufacturing base by partnering with allies in a statement also provided by the company.

“I’m proud to be working on behalf of a deal that provides the best path forward to not only revitalise an iconic American company, but also to strengthen American supply chains and protect American jobs,” he said.

Pompeo isn’t the only Trump adviser working to help Nippon Steel promote the deal. Stephen Moore, who Trump consulted as he was drafting his signature tax cuts and later nominated to serve as a governor of the Federal Reserve, released a report last week arguing that a deal would benefit American workers and the steel industry as a whole.

Jack Doyle, the Pennsylvania communications director for the Biden campaign, said in a statement on Friday that the state “lost more than 275,000 jobs under Donald Trump, so it’s no surprise to see one of Trump’s top allies is now working to ship our steel jobs overseas.” The headquarters of US Steel is in Pittsburgh.

Pompeo, who spoke at this week’s Republican National Convention, is a contender to return to a potential second Trump administration should the Republican Party nominee win in November. He didn’t mention the deal, but did discuss China.

The Nippon Steel bid – offered at a premium well above the current