OK, I’ll admit “fell for the con” may be a bit strong bordering on false, I meant the fact that the general point of the post is true. These specific people were convinced Trump was going to do one thing and then got upset when he did the opposite. I think it’s equally too strong to call it outright propaganda. Your comment makes it sound as though the entire thing is fabricated.

Zugai said he attended Trump rallies in Westmoreland County and Pittsburgh in the run-up to the election, even meeting with the president-elect at one, and helped organize steelworkers to attend.

Trump did not mention any opposition to the U.S. Steel-Nippon deal at those rallies. Zugai said Trump told him then that he would take another look at the deal after he won the election.

Zugai said he was hopeful Trump would eventually support it after speaking with Mon Valley workers and members of Mon Valley communities.

So yes, you could argue they’re delusional and deluded themselves into believing he may change his mind on the policy, but they did vote for him on that basis and so felt betrayed and conned when reality happened.

Also we obviously don’t know whatever conversation he personally had with Trump, but it could have potentially been enough to convince him there was a real chance of Trump changing his mind, and Trump may have intentionally led him to believe that, but that’s obviously speculation. I do think that’s what he truly believed though. And it appears Trump didn’t actively try to make it clear at the time.