00:25A
00:27moment that was supposed to showcase a massive American steel investment is now drawing
00:32attention for a very different reason. President Donald Trump appeared to doze off on camera
00:38just moments after announcing a planned $15 billion steel complex in Iowa. And the timing
00:46immediately caught attention because Trump had just taken a familiar jab at his predecessor,
00:51former President Joe Biden. During Monday's Oval Office announcement, Trump referred to Biden as
00:58Sleepy Joe before officials began outlining the new steel project. Then, as Energy Secretary Chris
01:05Wright spoke about the administration's industrialization plans and the partnership
01:10with Mesabi Metallics, Trump's eyes appeared to close and his head dropped forward.
01:16The footage quickly spread across social media, with users debating whether Trump had actually
01:21fallen asleep or was simply resting his eyes. But the video itself is only one part of the story.
01:28The bigger announcement was a massive new investment in American steelmaking.
01:33Trump announced plans for Mesabi Metallics to build a $15 billion steel plant in Iowa.
01:40The company says the Iowa investment is part of an overall $18 billion integrated steel project,
01:47including roughly $3 billion tied to its iron ore operations in Minnesota.
01:53Production at the Iowa facility is expected to begin in 2030. In its first phase, the plant
01:59is projected to produce about 7.5 million tons of steel every year. Once fully developed,
02:06production could rise to around 10 million tons annually. The project is also expected to create
02:12about 1,750 permanent jobs in Iowa, along with more than 6,000 construction jobs during development.
02:20And there is another important part of the plan. The steel plant is designed to use iron ore from
02:27Mesabi Metallics' newly opened Minnesota mine. That mine is being described by U.S. officials as the first
02:34new iron ore mine in the country in more than 50 years. The idea is to connect mining in Minnesota,
02:41transportation and steel production in Iowa into one domestic supply chain.
02:47Trump has credited his administration's steel policies, including 50 percent tariffs on imported
02:53steel, for encouraging new investment in domestic production. The White House says the project could
02:59support thousands of jobs and generate substantial economic activity over the coming decade.
03:05Mesabi Metallics itself projects around $95 billion in total economic output during construction
03:12and the first 10 years of operations. Now to the surprise. Alongside the industrial announcement,
03:20the images of Trump appearing to nod off have become the viral part of the story.
03:25And that is where the irony became impossible for social media to ignore. Trump had just mocked
03:31sleepy Joe Biden. And moments later, cameras appeared to capture Trump himself with his eyes closed during
03:38the event. The footage has triggered a flood of reactions online, with some users mocking Trump,
03:44while others argued that brief closed eyes do not establish that someone actually fell asleep.
03:50So the confirmed announcement is a $15 billion Iowa steel project, while the viral controversy centers on
03:58a few moments of video that appear to show Trump struggling to stay awake. Two very different stories
04:04unfolding at the same Oval Office.
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