PITTSBURGH — President Donald Trump last week fulfilled his pledge to protect America’s national security and grow prosperity in the middle of the country when he announced a staggering $90 billion-plus had been secured to build artificial intelligence data power centers, all fueled by the region’s abundant natural gas, nuclear and coal power sources.

“We’re back in Pittsburgh to announce the largest package of investments in the history of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania that will bring tens of thousands of jobs to the region,” Trump said in an interview with the Washington Examiner after a roundtable led by freshman Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.).

Pittsburgh sizzled with excitement at the possibilities to come from the convergence of the brightest treasures of the region, including the research and talent coming from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, the energy coming from the ground below, and the historic excellence of the trade and labor unions that have generational ties to the region.

Organized by McCormick, with heavy lifting by his wife, Dina Powell McCormick, a force of nature unto herself, the massive event attracted Silicon Valley technocrats, energy giants, university officials, investors, labor leaders and government officials from both parties, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. John Fetterman, both Democrats who touted the jobs and stability the new industry would bring to the region.

Darrin Kelly, president of the Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council, said the largest private investment in the state’s history is a tremendous opportunity for workers and the communities they live in.

“We have the greatest workforce in the world, and our workers are more than ready to help lead our city and our country into the future,” Kelly said, thanking McCormick for his leadership in bringing people together.

The rapid rise of AI and the power needed to fortify the electrical grid to sustain it were at the core of the summit. Trump stressed that Pennsylvania is the second-leading energy-producing state in the country and is in a perfect position geographically to deliver affordable energy that the AI, advanced manufacturing, medical and research sectors demand.

The host university, Carnegie Mellon, where the first AI computer was developed in the 1950s, served as the perfect venue for the multitiered event, which included panels featuring Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and “Dirty Jobs” creator and trades evangelist Mike Rowe.

Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian said this type of event and national dialogue is exactly what great research universities are called to do.

“Higher education must be a convener — a catalyst for ideas and partnerships that share our future,” he said. “For the past 125 years, we’ve been at the heart of the technological revolutions that have redefined industries, remade communities and propelled our nation forward.”

Trump said bringing people together across sectors to tackle big things is what this moment is all about.

“You have the greatest group of financial talent and environmental talent, every form of talent. You have the greatest group right now, and it’s an honor to be here,” Trump said during the interview, adding, “These are the biggest people in the financial world. They’re putting $20 billion, $30 billion. You see the kind of numbers invested, and it’s really going to be something to behold in the next couple of years.”

“This is the golden age of America. I will tell you, it’s the golden age,” Trump continued, adding that this region of post-industrial Appalachia might not have to use the term “Rust Belt” much longer.

Trump also fulfilled the promise he made in 2017 while withdrawing from the controversial Paris climate agreement: “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.”

Trump argued that by pulling out of the Paris agreement, which required countries to curb carbon emissions, he was putting towns such as Detroit, Pittsburgh and Youngstown, Ohio, ahead of foreign cities such as Paris.

“I said, ‘No, I want the Pittsburgh accords. I’m not interested in that,’” Trump said of the Paris agreement. “And that was an environmental deal that they were putting out in Europe, and I’m sure they meant well, but it was very unfair to America, and I terminated it. I got out of paying some ridiculous number to be involved, and other countries were paying nothing like always. So yeah, it was the Paris courts, and I said, ‘No, I want the Pittsburgh accords.’ And now here we are in Pittsburgh.”

Trump said Pennsylvania is very special to him.

“I went to school here. I know I have so many friends here. I’m very proud of Dave McCormick, the senator, and his wife, Dina. It’s truly an amazing couple.”

“He took it by storm,” Trump said of McCormick. “It was not a race that could have been won. Actually, he was against a very popular senator whose father was very popular, and they were probably totaled approximately 50 years. And he came in and he took it by storm, and it was a great thing.”

Trump urged McCormick to join the interview and then turned to the freshman Republican and asked what he thought about the day.

McCormick said the day would not have happened without Trump’s full-court press to unleash the state’s natural resources to fuel the new economy.

“It’s just the continuation of the agenda that President Trump campaigned on, and here it’s coming into reality. Here’s someone who ran on an agenda, and actually, he’s doing it. And so energy dominance, unlocking the possibilities of natural gas ‘drill, baby drill,’ and helping working families,” McCormick said.

“The reason this summit was so successful is that the policies that President Trump put in place — people believe him and they want to invest behind that vision,” McCormick continued.

Trump interjected, “Those investments today that were announced were unbelievable. I mean, there’s never been a number like this in the state. There’s never been a group assembled like this.”

A businessman by trade, Trump said most people have never heard of many of the people at the event. “But a person like me, that’s in the world of finance, or David, we hear of them because they’re the biggest people in the world, actually. And they came from all over the world, and they’re in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, investing. You heard $20 billion, $25 billion, $15 billion,” he said of the multiple investments, joking, “The poor ones are going for $5 billion.”

“I can come up with some really good ideas, commonsense ideas, but it takes people like David and some of his friends in the Senate and the House to get it done. And you’ve done a fantastic job,” he said.

In the race for world leadership in AI, there will always be competition with China, which does not face the regulatory acrobatics that American companies have to do to get online.

“But we’re going to be doing it very quickly too. We have Lee Zeldin, he’s fantastic. He’s going to get it done quickly and efficiently and safely and environmentally soundly,” Trump said of environmental concerns.

Trump was in Pittsburgh for his second visit in less than six weeks, his last trip celebrating the $15 billion U.S. Steel-Nippon Steel deal, which not only saved the industry but also the communities that surround it, the tax base for the school districts, and all the small businesses that support it.

It was an announcement that was critically important not just for the prosperity and future of the region but also culturally and emotionally. U.S. Steel was a giant in America’s first industrial revolution. It was the first company in the world to reach a market of over $1 billion.

It was an industry that embodied American industrial grit and exceptionalism. The men and women who worked there, along with their children and grandchildren, produced the raw materials that built the bridges, highways, skyscrapers, ships and automobiles that shaped this nation and kept its engine running.

Initially hesitant about the sale, Trump fully embraces the potential, saying they are already doing a great job.

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