Vance campaigns in Ohio hometown, announces $1 billion steel plant investment

Vice President JD Vance returned to his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, on Friday, August 21, 2026, to campaign for Republican candidates and promote the Trump administration's economic agenda at the steel plant where his grandfather once worked. The visit, which included a speech at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works facility and a stop at a local Cincinnati restaurant, was framed as a personal homecoming tied to a broader message about revitalizing American manufacturing.

Speaking at the plant, formerly known as Armco Steel, Vance highlighted his family's connection to the facility, noting his grandfather, James Vance, worked there as a welder for nearly 40 years. "Papaw was a welder in this place for 40 years, and today his grandson stands here as the vice president of these United States," Vance said. He used the setting to announce a $1 billion investment by Cleveland-Cliffs to modernize the plant, a project he said would protect existing jobs and create new employment. The investment includes upgrading an ironmaking furnace and introducing new technology to improve operations and air quality.

Vance linked the investment to the administration's trade, energy, and...