Nippon Steel has hired Donald Trump’s former secretary of state Mike Pompeo to help lobby for its controversial $14.9bn bid for US Steel, which has faced opposition from Republicans and Democrats.

Pompeo — who spoke at the Republican National Convention this week where Trump accepted the party’s nomination as its presidential candidate — will serve as an adviser to Nippon Steel as it attempts to overcome public statements against the deal from Trump and President Joe Biden. Both men are trying to court blue-collar voters in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania in the run-up to November’s election.

“As the former secretary of state, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and US congressman, Mike Pompeo is respected on both sides of the aisle and has an unparalleled grasp of the geopolitical and security issues that America is confronting today,” said Nippon Steel on Sunday.