Podcast Summary – Business Daily: “Trump's Green Retreat”

Host: Erin Delmore, BBC World Service
Date: October 1, 2025
Location: Middletown, Ohio

Overview

In this episode of Business Daily, host Erin Delmore explores Middletown, Ohio, a Rust Belt steel town at the heart of America’s industrial and political crossroads. The episode delves into the community’s struggle with industrial pollution, the promise and abrupt cancellation of a major “green steel” initiative, and what the reversal of federal green subsidies under President Trump means for workers, residents, and the future of U.S. manufacturing. The story is both local and national, reflecting debates about clean energy, jobs, and the power of electoral choices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Middletown – A Town Caught Between Industry and Clean Energy

• [01:08]–[03:00] Middletown, Ohio, famed for its steel mills and as the hometown of Vice President J.D. Vance, remains a community deeply rooted in heavy industry.

• Residents like Heather Gibson recall family ties to the mill and the pride and pain of living with “the nastiest smell” from the nearby coke plant, highlighting years of worsening air quality.

  “The nastiest smell. I mean, it'll get in your house. It burns your throat.”
  — Heather Gibson, 01:45

• Longstanding pollution has led to changes in daily routines, like keeping windows closed at night and changing air filters every few weeks.

  “It was not like this before, no.”
  — Heather Gibson, 05:44

2. The Green Upgrade That Wasn't

• [06:04] The Biden administration’s $500 million grant for a hydrogen-powered furnace was set to dramatically cut emissions (by up to 70%) and boost green jobs.

• The community was initially ecstatic:

  “I was ecstatic. I was excited. I posted it on Facebook, as did a lot of people.”
  — Heather Gibson, 06:04

• The plant would have served as the nation’s model for “green steel,” feeding cleaner material into American car manufacturing.

• Trump’s election changed everything. In January 2025, the new administration paused all green energy grants, and Cleveland Cliffs, the local mill’s owner, backed out of the conversion.

• The company cited a lack of hydrogen supply and the suspension of federal funds, as well as insufficient profitability.

3. The Political Trade-Off: Jobs, Pollution, and Voting Patterns

• [08:51] Scotty Robertson, a local pastor and city council candidate, articulates the community’s health impact and the complex motivations behind local voting:

  “We don't talk a lot about clean energy, but they sure talk about pollution... But the other part of this is a messaging problem among Democrats and people who are proponents of clean energy.”
  — Scotty Robertson, 09:23

• [11:24]–[12:07] Despite health concerns, Butler County gave Trump and Vance 65% of its vote. Vance’s personal popularity overshadowed green policies.

  “It is so good to be back home for once, isn't it?”
  — J.D. Vance, 11:48

• Some residents suffer directly from pollution-induced illnesses, but the sense of connection to local leaders and the political narrative overtook environmental priorities.

4. Economics and the Hurdles to Going Green

• [13:32]–[16:51] Professor David Brasington (University of Cincinnati) breaks down the reasons the steel plant project collapsed:

  • No industrial hydrogen supply.
  • Tariffs made traditional, domestic steel more profitable.
  • The project’s full cost ($1.6bn) far exceeded the grant; automakers weren't willing to pay extra for green steel.

  “They reached out to big customers like the automakers and said, would you be willing to pay a premium for green steel? And their customers said no.”
  — David Brasington, 13:32

• While domestic steel booms (thanks to tariffs), advanced technology like hydrogen-powered furnaces remains economically risky without government support.

• Brasington highlights the “chicken and egg” problem of green tech: investment is needed to make it affordable and scalable, but profitability is distant.

  “There's a concept in economics called economies of scale...the more of something that you do, the cheaper the cost of production becomes.”
  — David Brasington, 15:38

• The episode suggests that, with little government investment, green breakthroughs will have to come from the private sector, but at present they "just don’t pay yet."

5. Voter Sentiment and Political Responsibility

• [18:11] Residents chose local pride and emotional connections over policy substance in the election, as Heather Gibson candidly explains.

  “The town voted for it with emotion. The town voted for a hometown boy. And let's just be honest that's what we did. You know, we didn't vote for green energy. We didn't vote for policy. We voted largely for our hometown boy.”
  — Heather Gibson, 18:11

• She laments the polarization and lack of collective action:

  “Aren't we all just in it together? ...We should care about everybody... This country is a mess, and this is why we can't get anywhere in America.”
  — Heather Gibson, 18:40

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tension Between Clean Air and Politics:

  “If you ask the question, do you want to see more clean energy in your community…you're going to say no. If you ask…do you believe that your children deserve to grow up in communities without pollution, then the answer would be yes.”
  — Scotty Robertson, 02:18–02:29

• On Economic and Moral Trade-offs:

  “The number one job of our systems of government is to keep people safe.”
  — Scotty Robertson, 12:38

• On Emotional Voting and Divided America:

  “We voted largely for our hometown boy…We're voting emotionally now and not voting policy. That's what we're doing, and that's why we are where we are.”
  — Heather Gibson, 18:11

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:08 – Introduction to Middletown and its steel legacy
• 03:55 – Resident descriptions of industrial pollution
• 06:04 – The promise and cancellation of the "green steel" plan
• 08:51 – Scotty Robertson on pollution and missed political opportunities
• 11:24 – Election results and local attitudes toward J.D. Vance
• 13:32 – Economic analysis of the green project by Prof. Brasington
• 15:38 – Discussion of “economies of scale” and the challenge for green tech
• 18:11 – Resident reflections on emotion-driven voting and national division

Conclusion

This episode offers a nuanced portrait of Middletown—a microcosm of America’s industrial heartland—caught between old loyalties, economic realities, the promise of innovation, and the hard politics of green transition. Local voices, from steel families to pastors and economists, reveal the complex interplay of emotion, economics, and policy that shapes the outcomes of environmental progress, and why, for now, Middletown’s green future is on ice.