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Trump, Pence reach deal with Carrier to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indy

WASHINGTON (AP) – Air conditioning company Carrier said Tuesday that it had reached a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to keep nearly 1,000 jobs in Indiana. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence planned to travel to the state Thursday to unveil the agreement alongside company officials.

Trump spent much of his campaign pledging to keep companies like Carrier from moving jobs overseas. His focus on manufacturing jobs contributed to his unexpected appeal with working-class voters in states like Michigan, which has long voted for Democrats in presidential elections.

The details of the agreement were unclear. Carrier tweeted that the company was “pleased to have reached a deal” with Trump and Pence to keep the jobs in Indianapolis.

A transition official confirmed that the president-elect and Pence, who is ending his tenure as Indiana governor, would appear with Carrier officials Thursday. The official insisted on anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the trip ahead of an official announcement.

Trump said last week that he was “making progress” on trying to get Carrier to stay in Indiana. 

The event in Indiana will mark a rare public appearance for Trump, who has spent nearly his entire tenure as president-elect huddled with advisers and meeting with possible Cabinet secretaries. He plans to make other stops later this week as part of what advisers have billed as a “thank you” tour for voters who backed him in the presidential campaign.

Following the the deal several elected officials made their feelings known on the subject.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett released the following statement:

Since February, Indianapolis has been united in working with state and federal partners to help those families affected by Carrier’s shortsighted business decision. I am hopeful that President-elect Trump’s efforts will keep many of these jobs here in Indianapolis and I trust our national leaders will continue working alongside us to assist the Carrier workers whose jobs will still leave in the coming years, as well as the families affected by the recent Rexnord announcement and the thousands more in our community who deserve full-time employment and a living wage.

Indiana Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly also released a statement”

This is welcome news for the Hoosier workers who will keep their jobs, and I’m eager to learn the specific details of the agreement. For many months I have been fighting alongside the Carrier workers and pushing to keep these jobs in Indiana. While this is good news, in Indiana alone, there are at least two other companies currently planning to move Hoosier jobs out of the country. We need to change our laws to encourage companies to grow here at home. I hope President-elect Trump will work with me toward this goal, so that companies will invest in the foundation of our economy: our workers and our communities.

Indiana Republican Sen. Dan Coats posted on social media saying that he applauded the efforts of all involved.