President Donald Trump, in his announcement Monday of a new steel plant in Iowa, invited several women and two business executives from India to the Oval Office event – a move that suggests the president understands that the GOP must continue to show its appreciation for a cross-section of likely voters beyond its base to keep control of Congress. 

The president announced that Mesabi Metallics, which is owned by the Essar Group, will build the major steel plant. The men have been identified as Essar Group co-founder Ravi Ruia and Mesabi Metallics chairman Rewant Ruia, who spoke at the event. 

"Today, we’re thrilled to announce that Mesabi Metallics will be building the largest steel plant in American history in the great state of Iowa," Trump said. "This steel will be mined, melted and made right here in the USA. The project is expected to create up to 6,000 new construction jobs, nearly 2,000 manufacturing and mining jobs, and another $95 billion to the U.S. economy."

The announcement also featured female lawmakers in Iowa who are facing tough elections in November, despite Iowa being a strong red state in recent elections. GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson is running in a tight race for retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst's open seat and Iowa GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks is seeking reelection in a tight race against Democratic nominee Christina Bohannan.

"Iowa does a lot of things really, really well," Hinson said. "We feed and fuel the world, and now we’re going to continue to be a part of the American manufacturing story. I just think about the countless opportunities for Iowa families and what this means for them. It is a game changer for our state and, frankly, for the country."

Iowa's Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds was also at the event but she is not seeking reelection. 

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, National Energy Dominance Council Executive Director Jarrod Agen and Export-Import Bank Chairman John Jovanovic were also at the announcement.

Selection comes as Trump and Republicans are losing support among minorities 

The selection comes as polls appear to show that Republicans, including the president, are losing support among minority voters in the midterms, especially Hispanic voters, despite them helping elect Trump in 2024. Minorities are expected to play a serious role in the midterms, with experts noting that Latino voters are critical swing voters.

Iowa did not conduct exit polls in the 2024 presidential election in which Trump got 55.7% of the vote compared to 42.5% for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. However, in Trump's 2016 victory, he garnered 22% of the black vote and 31% of the Hispanic/Latino vote, according to NBC News.

Pollsters think the outcomes in as many as seven Senate races – Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas – will decide whether Democrats retake control of the chamber from Republicans. 

Trump and Republicans at large are most notably losing support in the critical states of Texas and Florida, which have recently been strong conservative states and both went for Trump just two years ago. But Republican-held seats in South Florida and South Texas are now considered competitive, according to Newsweek.

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is posing a significant challenge to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running as the Republican nominee. Just 30% of Hispanic likely voters in Texas back Paxton, compared to 63% for Talarico. 

A survey of Hispanic likely voters in Texas, conducted for the Cook Political Report and TelevisaUnivision, found Trump's job approval at 33%, two years after he carried Texas Hispanics by 10 points.

A lot of the change comes from Trump voters, where 18% of Texas Hispanic voters who backed him in 2024 disapprove of his performance now. The survey also found that 19% of his supporters in 2024 now support Talarico over Paxton and 22% do not back a Republican in a generic House match-up.

A New York Times and Siena poll, conducted earlier this month, found Trump's approval rating at just 26% among Hispanic voters, and 11% among black voters. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.