Local Republicans are livid this week after President Trump fulfilled a core campaign promise by terminating approximately $100 million in federal grant funding for the Ascend Elements battery plant in Christian County, effectively destroying hundreds of desperately needed jobs in an area that voted 66% for him.
"This is exactly what we wanted when we cast our ballots," said area resident Dale Hutchins, staring at the now-halted construction site that would have employed 500 workers. "When Trump said he'd shake things up in Washington, I knew that meant taking a sledgehammer to my own financial future. That's the kind of bold leadership we need."
The battery recycling facility represented nearly $1 billion in investment for one of Kentucky's most economically distressed regions, which is precisely why Christian County voters worked so hard to ensure it would never open. Governor Andy Beshear, demonstrating a frustrating grasp of irony, pointed out that the county "voted overwhelmingly for the president" who just killed their primary economic lifeline.
Republican officials praised Trump's decisive action to hurt the people who supported him most. "Finally, a president who keeps his promises," said County Commissioner Frank Morrison, whose nephew was planning to apply for a plant position. "My family may be unemployed, but at least we owned the libs."
The cuts extend beyond Christian County, with an additional $50 million threatened for a Mitsubishi Electric plant in Mason County and $24 million for University of Kentucky energy projects, ensuring Trump's commitment to economic self-sabotage reaches every corner of the state.
Ascend Elements CEO Mike O'Kronley announced the company would seek "private growth equity and non-U.S. incentives, including support from the EU" to replace the terminated American funding, which local Trump supporters celebrated as a patriotic victory for America First policies.
"Who needs jobs in Kentucky when those jobs can go to Europe instead?" asked Jennifer Parker, president of the local Republican Women's Club. "That's what making America great again looks like—making sure the prosperity happens literally anywhere else."
When informed that they had actively voted to eliminate their own economic opportunities, Christian County Republicans nodded enthusiastically and confirmed they'd definitely do it again in 2028, assuming they can still afford gas to get to the polls.
At press time, local GOP officials were drafting a resolution thanking President Trump for keeping his promise to hurt them specifically.
