Trump’s mining plan is smart — but China remains in the room



The Trump administration, to its credit, is prioritizing the development of mining and critical minerals to protect U.S. economic and defense interests and secure a reliable domestic supply.

At the center of this effort is President Trump’s recent executive order “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production.” The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, now known as the Permitting Council, spearheads these administration efforts.

America needs to get real about sourcing its domestic critical mineral supply and supporting reliable mining partners in their operations abroad.

Thankfully, it’s now increasing “transparency, accountability, and predictability for the permitting review process for ... critical mineral production projects.”

Abroad, the administration is also pursuing strategic deals, particularly by supporting mining operators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A newly signed minerals agreement between the Congo and Rwanda — brokered as part of the U.S.-backed peace treaty — marks “a success for Trump against the backdrop of U.S.-China competition over critical minerals.”

With all this activity in the global mining sector, it’s essential that the U.S. government adhere to the following principle: Support and partner with real — and reliable — mining operators.

America can’t afford to gamble with startups backed by tech billionaires with no mining experience nor mining companies that are backed by China. We need to be realistic about supporting the mineral needs of “USA Inc.” Moreover, policymakers must not fall for the slick PR and flashy AI claims currently inundating the industry.

It’s time to stop the madness.

Flashy ‘mining’ startups

So who are the culprits driving this frenzy? The first is KoBold Metals, a California-based startup backed by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Michael Bloomberg. The company’s trio of green activist billionaire backers should raise significant concerns within the administration. Gates, for instance, was in Singapore recently touting the ill-advised return of support for “climate reform.”

A deeper problem lies in KoBold’s misleading image. The company calls itself a mining firm, but it has never run a mine.

Its strength lies in artificial intelligence and data harvesting, not excavation, logistics, or engineering. KoBold claims to lead “the world’s largest exploration R&D effort” using AI and novel hardware. The language sounds impressive. The reality is far less so.

KoBold lacks the infrastructure, operational know-how, and supply chain muscle needed for serious mineral exploration and production. At its core, it’s an AI platform masquerading as a mining company.

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Temizyurek via iStock/Getty Images

Even more troubling, the administration appears to be assisting KoBold in advancing a lithium mine in the DRC. According to Bloomberg, the announcement came after the DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi met with Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser for African affairs, to discuss potential American investment and security assistance in the DRC's fight against a rebel group in the east, which is backed by neighboring Rwanda.

I am confident Boulos, who also happens to be the father-in-law of President Trump’s youngest daughter, will soon come around and realize what’s real and what’s not.

Lining China’s pockets

Given the stakes, the administration must weigh reliability when deciding which mining companies to back. Rio Tinto doesn’t make the cut.

Yes, Rio Tinto is a real mining company. It’s been around since 1873 and operates on a global scale. But it doesn’t serve U.S. interests.

The Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd., or Chinalco, holds a 14.56% stake in Rio Tinto. Chinalco is a Chinese state-owned enterprise. That makes Beijing the company’s largest shareholder — and that alone should disqualify Rio Tinto as a potential partner.

Propping up Rio Tinto would only tighten China’s grip on the world’s critical minerals supply — at America’s expense. As international policy and trade analyst Dewardric McNeal recently wrote:

The United States must now treat critical minerals not as commodities but as instruments of geopolitical power. China already does. Escaping its grip will require more than mine permits and short-term funding. It demands a coherent, long-term strategy to build a complete supply chain that includes not only domestic capabilities but also reliable allies and partners.

Exactly right. The U.S. needs a strategic, grounded approach — not one riddled with internal contradictions.

America needs to get real about sourcing its domestic critical mineral supply and supporting reliable mining partners in their operations abroad. The clock is ticking, and neither flashy startups nor Chinese-backed companies are the keys to solving this puzzle.

A brutal wake-up call from America’s most powerful banker



Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase — one of the most powerful financial institutions on earth — issued a warning the other day. But it wasn’t about interest rates, crypto, or monetary policy.

Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California, Dimon pivoted from economic talking points to something far more urgent: the fragile state of America’s physical preparedness.

We are living in a moment of stunning fragility — culturally, economically, and militarily. It means we can no longer afford to confuse digital distractions with real resilience.

“We shouldn’t be stockpiling Bitcoin,” Dimon said. “We should be stockpiling guns, tanks, planes, drones, and rare earths. We know we need to do it. It’s not a mystery.”

He cited internal Pentagon assessments showing that if war were to break out in the South China Sea, the United States has only enough precision-guided missiles for seven days of sustained conflict.

Seven days — that’s the gap between deterrence and desperation.

This wasn’t a forecast about inflation or a hedge against market volatility. It was a blunt assessment from a man whose words typically move markets.

“America is the global hegemon,” Dimon continued, “and the free world wants us to be strong.” But he warned that Americans have been lulled into “a false sense of security,” made complacent by years of peacetime prosperity, outsourcing, and digital convenience:

We need to build a permanent, long-term, realistic strategy for the future of America — economic growth, fiscal policy, industrial policy, foreign policy. We need to educate our citizens. We need to take control of our economic destiny.

This isn’t a partisan appeal — it’s a sobering wake-up call. Because our economy and military readiness are not separate issues. They are deeply intertwined.

Dimon isn’t alone in raising concerns. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has warned that China has already overtaken the U.S. in key defense technologies — hypersonic missiles, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence to mention a few. Retired military leaders continue to highlight our shrinking shipyards and dwindling defense manufacturing base.

Even the dollar, once assumed untouchable, is under pressure as BRICS nations work to undermine its global dominance. Dimon, notably, has said this effort could succeed if the U.S. continues down its current path.

So what does this all mean?

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mphillips007 via iStock/Getty Images

It means we are living in a moment of stunning fragility — culturally, economically, and militarily. It means we can no longer afford to confuse digital distractions with real resilience.

It means the future belongs to nations that understand something we’ve forgotten: Strength isn’t built on slogans or algorithms. It’s built on steel, energy, sovereignty, and trust.

And at the core of that trust is you, the citizen. Not the influencer. Not the bureaucrat. Not the lobbyist. At the core is the ordinary man or woman who understands that freedom, safety, and prosperity require more than passive consumption. They require courage, clarity, and conviction.

We need to stop assuming someone else will fix it. The next crisis — whether military, economic, or cyber — will not politely pause for our political dysfunction to sort itself out. It will demand leadership, unity, and grit.

And that begins with looking reality in the eye. We need to stop talking about things that don’t matter and cut to the chase: The U.S. is in a dangerously fragile position, and it’s time to rebuild and refortify — from the inside out.

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How Trump’s fiery Zelenskyy meeting could lead to 5 MASSIVE victories



Last Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy found himself in an icy Oval Office when his insistence that the U.S. continue to support Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia didn’t land well with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

The exchange between the three leaders culminated in a heated argument that ended with no mineral deal signed, Trump threatening to pull “out” if a deal between Russia and Ukraine isn’t made, Zelenskyy being asked to leave the White House, and uncertainty regarding Ukraine's relationship with the U.S.

“Zelenskyy was just playing a game, and you don’t play a game against Trump,” especially when “you don't have any cards” left, says Glenn Beck.

What President Trump is doing, he says, is “playing 5D chess” with both Ukraine and the world.

And his strategy is brilliant. It’s one that could end in five massive victories.

Potential victory #1: Ends the killing and waste of US dollars

Forcing Ukraine to make a deal with Russia would first and foremost stop the killing, which thus far has been relatively mild when you consider death counts in prior wars.

There have been “250,000 people lost in this war. Could be much, much higher. Let's end it ... because I don't even think anybody even knows what this [war] is about anymore,” Glenn says.

Further, “It ends the spending of the United States in Ukraine where we don't have any idea where any of it is going,” he adds. “It is a corrupt country. I don't want to be helping their sock industry.”

Under the corrupt Biden regime, our tax dollars were “paying for all of the Social Security benefits for everybody who has worked in the Ukrainian government,” along with other non-war-related causes.

But this “bleeding of money” will stop if Ukraine can be pushed into a deal with Russia.

Potential victory #2: The illusion of Russian victory

A deal between Ukraine and Russia "lets Putin go home while declaring a win.” However, “Everyone else knows he actually lost,” says Glenn.

After all, his original goal was “to go in there and in two weeks take Ukraine.” Three years later, “He still only has 20%” of the country.

Striking a deal now would mean Putin "can go home and declare he won because he's got some land,” but the truth the rest of us will know is “he lost” because “the idea that Russia can just plow into Europe has now been proven to be false.”

Potential victory #3: The acquisition of rare-earth minerals

“Russia and Ukraine are sitting on a gigantic pile of rare-earth minerals,” says Glenn. “If you don't know what that is, that's the thing that makes your computer work. If we don't have rare-earth minerals, we cannot compete in the world of tomorrow.”

He then explains that the U.S. currently relies heavily on China, which dominates the global supply, for rare-earth minerals. Striking a deal with Ukraine or Russia would allow us to distance ourselves from China while saving money.

On one hand, “giving money to Russia,” which has its own wealth of mineral resources and currently occupies a significant amount of mineral-rich Ukrainian territory, could be “a win for us because we're getting [rare-earth minerals] at a discount,” Glenn explains, noting that a money-motivated Putin would go "away not happy but not vengeful.”

On the other hand, if a deal between the U.S. and Ukraine is signed, then the U.S. will have access to Ukraine’s rare-earth mineral resources, while Ukraine has money for reconstruction. If such a deal is struck, “America's interests are now in Ukraine” — something that ought to tempt Zelenskyy.

Potential Victory #4: A NATO out?

While President Trump has floated the idea of exiting NATO and would likely do it if all the necessary factors aligned, what he really wants above all is “to stop paying 70% for the defense of Europe,” says Glenn.

“Because of the WEF strategy over in Europe, you have them coming together on Zelenskyy’s side. That's not going to make NATO stronger because America is not going to go and get involved,” he explains, noting that America sending troops into NATO is just “not going to happen.”

“That weakens NATO, but it also does what? It forces NATO to spend more money on their own defense — a win for America,” he continues.

Further, “The World War II model for the world takes a major hit,” which is a “goal of anybody who wants to get out of NATO,” including Donald Trump.

Potential victory #5: China loses Russia

“China loses the rare-earth minerals that Russia just captured; China loses its grip not just on Russia but also on us,” says Glenn, reminding us that rare-earth minerals are “what this whole thing is all about.”

“Anybody who says that Trump is stupid [or] Trump is causing a war” is misled, says Glenn.

“No, he's not, but the world is changing, and for once, finally, we have a president that knows how to negotiate ... on so many levels,” he adds, calling Trump’s abilities “mind-boggling.”

To hear more of Glenn’s commentary, watch the clip above.

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