By blocking a Japanese company’s takeover of U.S. Steel, President Joe Biden said he was protecting good jobs in the American heartland. He may be putting them at risk instead. In making its nearly $15 billion bid for the storied Pittsburgh-based steelmaker,

Senior administration officials had reservations about calling Nippon Steel’s takeover proposal a “national security risk.”

The president said he was moving to protect national security in deciding the fate of the iconic Pennsylvania-based company, which became a contentious political issue in an election year.