President Donald Trump just fired a major shot across the bow of globalist supply chains, signing a sweeping proclamation to address America's dangerous dependence on foreign nations for processed critical minerals—the very materials that power everything from our fighter jets to our smartphones.
The message is crystal clear: America will no longer be held hostage by hostile foreign powers for the minerals that keep our military strong and our economy running.
A National Security Emergency Hiding in Plain Sight
Here's a stunning fact the Biden administration conveniently ignored for four long years: as of 2024, the United States was 100 percent dependent on imports for 12 critical minerals and over 50 percent reliant on foreign sources for another 29. Let that sink in, Patriots.
These aren't just obscure elements on a periodic table. We're talking about rare earth magnets in every piece of military hardware, lithium for batteries, uranium for nuclear energy, and dozens of other materials embedded in our defense industrial base. Without them, our fighter aircraft don't fly, our naval ships don't sail, and our communication networks go dark.
Even more alarming? The Secretary of Commerce found that even when we mine minerals domestically, we're forced to ship them overseas for processing—often to adversarial nations—before importing them back. That's not energy independence. That's strategic suicide.
Trump Takes Action Where Biden Failed
While the previous administration was busy pushing Green New Deal fantasies and kowtowing to climate activists who blocked every mine and processing facility, President Trump is doing what leaders do: protecting American interests.
The proclamation directs Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative to immediately begin negotiations with trading partners to secure American access to these vital materials. And here's the teeth in this action—if agreements aren't reached within 180 days, tariffs and import restrictions are on the table.
"Mining a mineral domestically does not safeguard the national security of the United States if the United States remains dependent on a foreign country for the processing of that mineral," the proclamation states. That's the kind of clear-eyed thinking that's been absent from Washington for far too long.
China in the Crosshairs
Make no mistake about who this targets. The Chinese Communist Party has spent decades cornering the global market on critical mineral processing while American politicians sat on their hands. Beijing controls the processing of rare earth elements that our Department of Defense desperately needs—creating a chokepoint that could be weaponized against us at any moment.
President Trump isn't just talking about the problem. He's putting the full weight of the federal government behind solving it, authorizing the Secretary of Commerce, Trade Representative, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to take "all actions appropriate" to secure these supply chains.
What This Means for Americans
This isn't just about aircraft carriers and missile systems—though those matter enormously. Critical minerals underpin all 16 critical infrastructure sectors, from the energy grid keeping your lights on to the telecommunications networks connecting American families.
Price volatility in these markets has already caused facility closures and driven American producers offshore. President Trump's action aims to stabilize these markets, bring manufacturing home, and ensure that American workers—not Chinese factories—benefit from our mineral wealth.
The days of America Last policies are over. President Trump is rebuilding the industrial might that made this nation great, one executive action at a time. The only question remaining: will our trading partners come to the table, or will they learn the hard way that tariffs are coming?