The United States was facing the immense crisis of a rising recession and the fears of fighting in a war that could have proved to be very costly. Kennedy’s job as President in 1962 was to address the fears of the people and to mollify the concern by calling out a target for the American people to focus on. It was important for Kennedy to act in response to the rising price to not appear aloof to the affairs of the middle class issues. He targets the steel companies for two reasons, to address the concern of a rising steel price which would make for a costly war and to give the people a shift in focus to direct their anger at, in order to elevate himself as a secure leader.
