• House Democrats seeking delegation status to visit El Salvador's controversial Seacott prison, requiring Republican approval
• Wisconsin teen charged with murdering parents allegedly part of neo-Nazi plot to assassinate President Trump
• Nvidia announces massive $500 billion investment to build AI supercomputers on US soil
• Trump promises expedited permits as part of his "Golden Age of America" manufacturing initiative
• China suspends exports of seven heavy rare earth metals critical to US technology and defense industries
• America's changing position in global landscape highlighted across issues of immigration, extremism, and resource security
Dramatic developments unfold as Congressional Democrats push to visit El Salvador's Seacott prison where a Maryland resident is being held despite Supreme Court orders for his return. Meanwhile, China delivers a strategic blow in the trade war by suspending exports of critical rare earth metals used in everything from smartphones to military equipment.
Source Credits:
https://www.axios.com/2025/04/15/house-democrats-el-salvador-cecot-trump-bukele https://www.newsweek.com/nikita-casap-who-parents-assassinate-donald-trump-2059343 legally/ https://www.newsweek.com/trump-hails-nvidias-500b-investment-says-hell-expedite-permits-2059886 https://nypost.com/2025/04/14/world-news/china-suspends-rare-earth-exports-kneecapping-us-industry-reliant-on-beijings-monopoly/
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello America.
Joc, here with your RantingPolitics headline updates, where
we are diving into today's mostexplosive political stories
that you need to know aboutComing up.
Congressional Democrats aredesperately trying to get into
El Salvador's notorious Seacottprison, where the Trump
administration has been sendingdeportees.
They want official delegationstatus, but they're hitting a
(00:23):
Republican roadblock.
We'll break Dionne why thiswelfare check has turned into a
political chess match.
Then a truly disturbing storyout of Wisconsin A 17-year-old
is charged with murdering hisparents, but federal documents
reveal it might have been partof a larger neo-Nazi plot to
assassinate President Trump.
(00:43):
The details from this unsealedwarrant will leave you shocked.
In economic news, nvidia ismaking it rain with a massive
$500 billion investment to buildAI supercomputers right here in
the USA.
Trump is celebrating the win bypromising expedited permits as
part of his Golden Age ofAmerica push.
And finally, china just playeda serious card in the ongoing
(01:05):
trade war by suspending exportsof rare earth metals, critical
for everything from your iPhoneto our fighter jets.
This move could kneecap USindustries that rely on
Beijing's near monopoly of theseessential materials.
Stick around for all this andmore in your daily dose of
unfiltered news and common sensecommentary.
This is Ranting PoliticsHeadline Updates.
(01:42):
House Democrats are making abold move that's got people
talking, pushing for an officialcongressional delegation to
visit El Salvador's notoriousSeacott prison facility.
Representatives Robert Garciaand Maxwell Frost fired off a
letter to House OversightCommittee Chair James Comer
requesting authorization forthis trip.
And folks, this isn't justpolitical theater.
The Democrats are zeroing in onthe case of Kilmar Abrego
(02:04):
Garcia, a Maryland resident,who's being held at this El
Salvadorian prison despite theSupreme Court explicitly
ordering his return to theUnited States.
Talk about an internationalstandoff.
President Nayib Bukele and theTrump administration have flat
out refused to send him back,creating a diplomatic mess
that's heating up by the day.
Here's where it getsinteresting.
(02:25):
Dozens of House Democrats arereportedly chomping at the bit
to join this delegation, butthere's a catch they need
official CODEL status, whichonly comes with Republican
approval.
Without it, they lose crucialoversight powers and security
resources.
That would make the tripactually meaningful rather than
just a photo op.
Meanwhile, the Senate isalready making moves.
(02:48):
Senator Chris Van Hollen fromMaryland isn't waiting around.
He's wheels up to El Salvadortomorrow morning, hoping to meet
with Garcia himself.
Senator Cory Booker is alsoworking on organizing his own
trip to the facility, accordingto sources speaking with Axios,
there's considerable eagernessamong Democrats in both chambers
to make this happen.
One senior House Democratcalled the situation surreal and
(03:12):
Orwellian and said manylawmakers want to shine a bright
light on it, to expose whateverthe hell this thing is.
But without that crucial CODELdesignation from Chairman Comer,
these House Democrats mightfind themselves stuck playing
political tourist rather thanconducting actual oversight.
So far, comer's office hasn'tresponded to requests for
(03:32):
comment on whether he'llgreenlight the trip.
The political stakes couldn'tbe higher as the Trump
administration's deportationpolicies face increasing
scrutiny, with Seacott becominga flashpoint in the debate.
This prison, officially known asthe Centro de Confinamiento del
Terrorismo, has been criticizedby human rights organizations,
but President Bukele hasshowcased it as a cornerstone of
(03:55):
his tough-on-crime approach.
That's dramatically reducedgang violence in El Salvador.
In a truly disturbing case outof Wisconsin, a 17-year-old
named Nikita Kasap standsaccused of murdering his parents
as part of what federalauthorities describe as a
broader neo-Nazi plot toassassinate President Donald
(04:15):
Trump.
This isn't just another tragicfamily crime.
It's potentially a thwarteddomestic terrorism case with
shocking implications.
A thwarted domestic terrorismcase with shocking implications.
According to recently unsealedfederal court documents, kasap
allegedly shot and killed hismother, tatiana Kasap and his
stepfather, donald Mayer, intheir home outside Milwaukee
back in February.
But here's where it gets evenmore disturbing.
(04:37):
He reportedly lived with theirdecomposing bodies for weeks
before fleeing with $14,000 cash, passports and even the family
dog.
The teenager was only caughtafter running a stop sign in
Kansas while driving hisstepfather's vehicle.
When authorities executed asearch warrant, they discovered
much more than evidence ofpatricide.
(04:57):
The FBI affidavit revealsCassap had written a three-page
manifesto calling for thepresident's assassination to
spark a political revolution andsave the white race.
Investigators found materialson Kassap's phone linking him to
a neo-Nazi group called theOrder of Nine Angles.
In one chilling excerpt fromhis manifesto he wrote as to why
(05:18):
, specifically Trump.
I think it's pretty obvious bygetting rid of the president and
perhaps the vice president,that is guaranteed to bring in
some chaos.
The FBI alleges Kassop actuallypurchased a drone and
explosives to carry out anattack.
They found photos of hisstepfather's credit cards and
bank account information on hisphone, suggesting the murders
(05:40):
were calculated to provide himwith the financial means and
autonomy necessary to carryingout his plan.
Perhaps most alarming, kossapallegedly told a classmate he
was in contact with someone inRussia regarding the
assassination plot.
Messages recovered from hisdevices indicate he planned to
flee to Ukraine, even asking inone telegram message.
(06:01):
So while in Ukraine I'll beable to live a normal life, even
when it's found out I did it.
Federal authorities have nowaccused Kasap of conspiracy,
presidential assassination anduse of weapons of mass
destruction.
He remains in custody at theWaukesha County Jail on a $1
million bond with an arraignmentscheduled for May 7th.
(06:23):
This case represents theintersection of several
disturbing trends onlineradicalization, neo-nazi
ideology targeting vulnerableyouth and the potential for lone
wolf attacks inspired byextremist manifestos.
It also highlights the crucialwork of law enforcement in
preventing what could have beena catastrophic act of domestic
(06:44):
terrorism before it moved beyondthe planning stages.
Talk about a massive economicwin for American manufacturing.
Nvidia, the tech powerhousebehind artificial intelligence
chips, just announced astaggering $500 billion
investment to build AIsupercomputers on US soil for
the first time ever.
President Trump immediatelypledged his administration's
(07:06):
full support, promising that allnecessary permits will be
expedited and quickly deliveredto NVIDIA, a commitment he
extended to all companiescommitting to be part of the
golden age of America.
This investment represents asignificant validation of
Trump's push for majormanufacturers to shift
production to the United States.
The administration has beenusing tariff policies to
(07:29):
incentivize companies to builddomestically, though those
policies have faced marketpressure recently.
In fact, fears of a potentialtrade war-induced recession
prompted Trump to pause hisadditional reciprocal tariffs
for 90 days to allow for tradetalks.
Nvidia's plan is absolutelymassive in scope.
They've commissioned over 1million square feet of
(07:50):
manufacturing space spreadacross two states Arizona for
their specialized Blackwellchips and Texas for their AI
supercomputers.
The company has already begunBlackwell production at Taiwan
Semiconductor ManufacturingCompany's chip plants in Phoenix
, while their supercomputermanufacturing will happen at
Foxconn in Houston and Wistronin Dallas.
Nvidia founder Jensen Huangemphasized the strategic
(08:13):
importance of this move, sayingthe engines of the world's AI
infrastructure are being builtin the United States for the
first time.
Adding American manufacturinghelps us better meet the
incredible and growing demandfor AI chips and supercomputers,
strengthens our supply chainand boosts our resiliency.
These AI supercomputers aren'tjust any technology.
They're essentially the enginesfor AI factories, which NVIDIA
(08:36):
describes as a new type of datacenter created for the sole
purpose of processing artificialintelligence.
The company projects thismanufacturing shift will create
hundreds of thousands of jobsand drive trillions in economic
growth over the coming decades.
Mass production is expected toramp up within the next 12 to 15
months.
Nvidia is also partnering withAmcor in Taiwan's Espil for
(09:01):
packaging and testing operationsin Arizona, creating a more
complete manufacturing ecosystemon American soil.
This announcement followsanother massive AI
infrastructure partnershipannounced earlier this year
between OpenAI, oracle andSoftBank.
That venture, called Stargate,is tasked with building out data
(09:21):
centers and electricitygeneration needed for AI
development in Texas, startingwith a $100 billion investment
that could eventually reach $500billion.
The timing is particularlynoteworthy as it comes while the
Trump administration isdeveloping a new approach to
semiconductor industry tariffs.
Electronics like smartphonesand laptops currently have
(09:42):
temporary exemptions, butanalysts have warned that broad
tariffs on tech products couldlead to significant price
increases for consumers AniPhone potentially costing $250
more, for example.
For Trump, nvidia'sannouncement represents exactly
the kind of economic victoryhe's been pushing for Major
global companies investingbillions in American
(10:04):
manufacturing, creating jobs andstrengthening strategic
industries like artificialintelligence, where the US is
competing fiercely with Chinafor global leadership.
In a major escalation of tradetensions.
China has completely haltedexports of seven heavy rare
earth metals and magnetscritical to US manufacturing
(10:24):
across multiple industries.
This suspension, which tookeffect April 3rd, isn't just
aimed at the United States, butapplies globally.
Yet American industries areparticularly vulnerable to the
disruption.
We're not talking about obscurematerials here.
These rare earth elements areessential components in
everything you use daily, fromthe smartphone in your pocket to
(10:45):
the electric vehicle you mightbe driving.
More critically, they're vitalfor military aircraft and
defense systems that protect ournation.
As Drew Horn, who served as thetop US official on strategic
minerals during Trump's firstadministration, put it bluntly
(11:06):
rare earths are in everything.
He specifically highlighted theEV and autospace, everything
from cell phones, defense keycomponents and space travel,
adding that China hasessentially created an
all-powerful monopoly with them.
What makes this moveparticularly concerning is that
China processes about 90% of theworld's supply of these heavy
rare earth magnets.
It's not just about mining theraw materials.
Even if other countries extractthe elements, they typically
(11:30):
send them to China forprocessing.
This gives Beijingextraordinary leverage in any
trade dispute.
This isn't the first time Chinahas threatened to weaponize its
rare earth dominance.
Similar threats emerged duringTrump's first term, with
President Xi Jinping making ahighly publicized visit to a
magnet factory in 2019.
(11:51):
During trade tensions Back in2010, china actually did suspend
rare earth exports to Japanduring a territorial dispute.
However, craig Singleton fromthe Foundation for Defense of
Democracies suggests Beijing maybe overplaying its hand.
The US response this time isless panic, more resolve.
(12:11):
Washington sees these latestmoves as further justification
to fast-track domesticproduction and friend-shoring
strategies.
The Trump administrationappears well aware of this
vulnerability.
Insider reports suggest thepresident's interest in both a
mineral deal with Ukraine and apotential partnership with
resource rich Greenland havebeen motivated by reducing
(12:33):
America's dangerousover-reliance on China for these
critical manufacturingcomponents.
The challenge isn't justfinding alternative sources for
raw materials.
Even if the US secured its ownrare earth supplies, experts say
it would take years to buildthe facilities needed to process
these elements.
Horn explained the difficulty Ina lot of ways.
(12:54):
The midstream processing is themost difficult to do because
China owns all of it or controlsall of it.
So even if you dig it up, youhave to ship to Chinese
refineries exclusively.
Despite these hurdles, hornbelieves processing facilities
could be operational before 2026with immediate action, though
he cautions this would requiresignificant government support
(13:16):
through incentives, protectivemeasures and loan guarantees to
shield American companies fromChinese retaliation.
The stakes couldn't be higher.
Without these criticalmaterials, entire manufacturing
sectors could grind to a halt,threatening both economic
security and national defense.
The rare earth standoffrepresents yet another
(13:36):
flashpoint in the increasinglycomplex economic relationship
between the world's two largesteconomies.
Well, folks, that wraps uptoday's whirlwind tour through
the political landscape.
And what a ride it's been, fromcongressional Democrats trying
to get eyes on thatcontroversial Seacott prison in
El Salvador to the chilling caseof a Wisconsin teen allegedly
(13:59):
murdering his parents as part ofa larger plot to assassinate
President Trump Disturbing stuffthat reminds us how political
extremism can manifest in trulydangerous ways.
On the economic front, we'vegot NVIDIA dropping a cool half
trillion dollars to manufactureAI supercomputers right here in
the USA, with Trump promising tofast-track those permits faster
(14:21):
than a New York minute.
It's a massive win for domestictech manufacturing, though time
will tell how it plays againstthe backdrop of ongoing trade
tensions.
And speaking of those tensions,china's decision to cut off
rare earth exports is no smallmatter.
It's a stark reminder of justhow vulnerable our supply chains
remain and why reshoringcritical industries isn't just
(14:43):
political talk.
It's increasingly a matter ofnational security.
What connects these stories?
America's changing position ina rapidly evolving global
landscape.
Whether it's immigration policy, domestic extremism,
technological competition orresource security, we're
witnessing real-time adjustmentsto how the US operates, both at
(15:03):
home and abroad.
If you're enjoying ourno-nonsense approach to the
day's events.
Make sure to follow us on X atRanting RP.
You can also catch us onYouTube, spotify, iheartradio
and Apple Podcasts, and forexclusive content and our full
archive, head over toRantingPoliticscom.
This is JOC signing off andthank you, our loyal listeners,
(15:25):
for choosing Ranting PoliticsHeadline Updates.
We'll be back soon with theupdates you need to navigate
these interesting times.
Until then, stay tuned, stayinformed and, as always, stay
free.
Hello America.
Joc, here with your RantingPolitics headline updates, where
we are diving into today's mostexplosive political stories
that you need to know aboutComing up.
Congressional Democrats aredesperately trying to get into
El Salvador's notorious Seacottprison, where the Trump
administration has been sendingdeportees.
They want official delegationstatus, but they're hitting a
(00:23):
Republican roadblock.
We'll break Dionne why thiswelfare check has turned into a
political chess match.
Then a truly disturbing storyout of Wisconsin A 17-year-old
is charged with murdering hisparents, but federal documents
reveal it might have been partof a larger neo-Nazi plot to
assassinate President Trump.
(00:43):
The details from this unsealedwarrant will leave you shocked.
In economic news, nvidia ismaking it rain with a massive
$500 billion investment to buildAI supercomputers right here in
the USA.
Trump is celebrating the win bypromising expedited permits as
part of his Golden Age ofAmerica push.
And finally, china just playeda serious card in the ongoing
(01:05):
trade war by suspending exportsof rare earth metals, critical
for everything from your iPhoneto our fighter jets.
This move could kneecap USindustries that rely on
Beijing's near monopoly of theseessential materials.
Stick around for all this andmore in your daily dose of
unfiltered news and common sensecommentary.
This is Ranting PoliticsHeadline Updates.
(01:42):
House Democrats are making abold move that's got people
talking, pushing for an officialcongressional delegation to
visit El Salvador's notoriousSeacott prison facility.
Representatives Robert Garciaand Maxwell Frost fired off a
letter to House OversightCommittee Chair James Comer
requesting authorization forthis trip.
And folks, this isn't justpolitical theater.
The Democrats are zeroing in onthe case of Kilmar Abrego
(02:04):
Garcia, a Maryland resident,who's being held at this El
Salvadorian prison despite theSupreme Court explicitly
ordering his return to theUnited States.
Talk about an internationalstandoff.
President Nayib Bukele and theTrump administration have flat
out refused to send him back,creating a diplomatic mess
that's heating up by the day.
Here's where it getsinteresting.
(02:25):
Dozens of House Democrats arereportedly chomping at the bit
to join this delegation, butthere's a catch they need
official CODEL status, whichonly comes with Republican
approval.
Without it, they lose crucialoversight powers and security
resources.
That would make the tripactually meaningful rather than
just a photo op.
Meanwhile, the Senate isalready making moves.
(02:48):
Senator Chris Van Hollen fromMaryland isn't waiting around.
He's wheels up to El Salvadortomorrow morning, hoping to meet
with Garcia himself.
Senator Cory Booker is alsoworking on organizing his own
trip to the facility, accordingto sources speaking with Axios,
there's considerable eagernessamong Democrats in both chambers
to make this happen.
One senior House Democratcalled the situation surreal and
(03:12):
Orwellian and said manylawmakers want to shine a bright
light on it, to expose whateverthe hell this thing is.
But without that crucial CODELdesignation from Chairman Comer,
these House Democrats mightfind themselves stuck playing
political tourist rather thanconducting actual oversight.
So far, comer's office hasn'tresponded to requests for
(03:32):
comment on whether he'llgreenlight the trip.
The political stakes couldn'tbe higher as the Trump
administration's deportationpolicies face increasing
scrutiny, with Seacott becominga flashpoint in the debate.
This prison, officially known asthe Centro de Confinamiento del
Terrorismo, has been criticizedby human rights organizations,
but President Bukele hasshowcased it as a cornerstone of
(03:55):
his tough-on-crime approach.
That's dramatically reducedgang violence in El Salvador.
In a truly disturbing case outof Wisconsin, a 17-year-old
named Nikita Kasap standsaccused of murdering his parents
as part of what federalauthorities describe as a
broader neo-Nazi plot toassassinate President Donald
(04:15):
Trump.
This isn't just another tragicfamily crime.
It's potentially a thwarteddomestic terrorism case with
shocking implications.
A thwarted domestic terrorismcase with shocking implications.
According to recently unsealedfederal court documents, kasap
allegedly shot and killed hismother, tatiana Kasap and his
stepfather, donald Mayer, intheir home outside Milwaukee
back in February.
But here's where it gets evenmore disturbing.
(04:37):
He reportedly lived with theirdecomposing bodies for weeks
before fleeing with $14,000 cash, passports and even the family
dog.
The teenager was only caughtafter running a stop sign in
Kansas while driving hisstepfather's vehicle.
When authorities executed asearch warrant, they discovered
much more than evidence ofpatricide.
(04:57):
The FBI affidavit revealsCassap had written a three-page
manifesto calling for thepresident's assassination to
spark a political revolution andsave the white race.
Investigators found materialson Kassap's phone linking him to
a neo-Nazi group called theOrder of Nine Angles.
In one chilling excerpt fromhis manifesto he wrote as to why
(05:18):
, specifically Trump.
I think it's pretty obvious bygetting rid of the president and
perhaps the vice president,that is guaranteed to bring in
some chaos.
The FBI alleges Kassop actuallypurchased a drone and
explosives to carry out anattack.
They found photos of hisstepfather's credit cards and
bank account information on hisphone, suggesting the murders
(05:40):
were calculated to provide himwith the financial means and
autonomy necessary to carryingout his plan.
Perhaps most alarming, kossapallegedly told a classmate he
was in contact with someone inRussia regarding the
assassination plot.
Messages recovered from hisdevices indicate he planned to
flee to Ukraine, even asking inone telegram message.
(06:01):
So while in Ukraine I'll beable to live a normal life, even
when it's found out I did it.
Federal authorities have nowaccused Kasap of conspiracy,
presidential assassination anduse of weapons of mass
destruction.
He remains in custody at theWaukesha County Jail on a $1
million bond with an arraignmentscheduled for May 7th.
(06:23):
This case represents theintersection of several
disturbing trends onlineradicalization, neo-nazi
ideology targeting vulnerableyouth and the potential for lone
wolf attacks inspired byextremist manifestos.
It also highlights the crucialwork of law enforcement in
preventing what could have beena catastrophic act of domestic
(06:44):
terrorism before it moved beyondthe planning stages.
Talk about a massive economicwin for American manufacturing.
Nvidia, the tech powerhousebehind artificial intelligence
chips, just announced astaggering $500 billion
investment to build AIsupercomputers on US soil for
the first time ever.
President Trump immediatelypledged his administration's
(07:06):
full support, promising that allnecessary permits will be
expedited and quickly deliveredto NVIDIA, a commitment he
extended to all companiescommitting to be part of the
golden age of America.
This investment represents asignificant validation of
Trump's push for majormanufacturers to shift
production to the United States.
The administration has beenusing tariff policies to
(07:29):
incentivize companies to builddomestically, though those
policies have faced marketpressure recently.
In fact, fears of a potentialtrade war-induced recession
prompted Trump to pause hisadditional reciprocal tariffs
for 90 days to allow for tradetalks.
Nvidia's plan is absolutelymassive in scope.
They've commissioned over 1million square feet of
(07:50):
manufacturing space spreadacross two states Arizona for
their specialized Blackwellchips and Texas for their AI
supercomputers.
The company has already begunBlackwell production at Taiwan
Semiconductor ManufacturingCompany's chip plants in Phoenix
, while their supercomputermanufacturing will happen at
Foxconn in Houston and Wistronin Dallas.
Nvidia founder Jensen Huangemphasized the strategic
(08:13):
importance of this move, sayingthe engines of the world's AI
infrastructure are being builtin the United States for the
first time.
Adding American manufacturinghelps us better meet the
incredible and growing demandfor AI chips and supercomputers,
strengthens our supply chainand boosts our resiliency.
These AI supercomputers aren'tjust any technology.
They're essentially the enginesfor AI factories, which NVIDIA
(08:36):
describes as a new type of datacenter created for the sole
purpose of processing artificialintelligence.
The company projects thismanufacturing shift will create
hundreds of thousands of jobsand drive trillions in economic
growth over the coming decades.
Mass production is expected toramp up within the next 12 to 15
months.
Nvidia is also partnering withAmcor in Taiwan's Espil for
(09:01):
packaging and testing operationsin Arizona, creating a more
complete manufacturing ecosystemon American soil.
This announcement followsanother massive AI
infrastructure partnershipannounced earlier this year
between OpenAI, oracle andSoftBank.
That venture, called Stargate,is tasked with building out data
(09:21):
centers and electricitygeneration needed for AI
development in Texas, startingwith a $100 billion investment
that could eventually reach $500billion.
The timing is particularlynoteworthy as it comes while the
Trump administration isdeveloping a new approach to
semiconductor industry tariffs.
Electronics like smartphonesand laptops currently have
(09:42):
temporary exemptions, butanalysts have warned that broad
tariffs on tech products couldlead to significant price
increases for consumers AniPhone potentially costing $250
more, for example.
For Trump, nvidia'sannouncement represents exactly
the kind of economic victoryhe's been pushing for Major
global companies investingbillions in American
(10:04):
manufacturing, creating jobs andstrengthening strategic
industries like artificialintelligence, where the US is
competing fiercely with Chinafor global leadership.
In a major escalation of tradetensions.
China has completely haltedexports of seven heavy rare
earth metals and magnetscritical to US manufacturing
(10:24):
across multiple industries.
This suspension, which tookeffect April 3rd, isn't just
aimed at the United States, butapplies globally.
Yet American industries areparticularly vulnerable to the
disruption.
We're not talking about obscurematerials here.
These rare earth elements areessential components in
everything you use daily, fromthe smartphone in your pocket to
(10:45):
the electric vehicle you mightbe driving.
More critically, they're vitalfor military aircraft and
defense systems that protect ournation.
As Drew Horn, who served as thetop US official on strategic
minerals during Trump's firstadministration, put it bluntly
(11:06):
rare earths are in everything.
He specifically highlighted theEV and autospace, everything
from cell phones, defense keycomponents and space travel,
adding that China hasessentially created an
all-powerful monopoly with them.
What makes this moveparticularly concerning is that
China processes about 90% of theworld's supply of these heavy
rare earth magnets.
It's not just about mining theraw materials.
Even if other countries extractthe elements, they typically
(11:30):
send them to China forprocessing.
This gives Beijingextraordinary leverage in any
trade dispute.
This isn't the first time Chinahas threatened to weaponize its
rare earth dominance.
Similar threats emerged duringTrump's first term, with
President Xi Jinping making ahighly publicized visit to a
magnet factory in 2019.
(11:51):
During trade tensions Back in2010, china actually did suspend
rare earth exports to Japanduring a territorial dispute.
However, craig Singleton fromthe Foundation for Defense of
Democracies suggests Beijing maybe overplaying its hand.
The US response this time isless panic, more resolve.
(12:11):
Washington sees these latestmoves as further justification
to fast-track domesticproduction and friend-shoring
strategies.
The Trump administrationappears well aware of this
vulnerability.
Insider reports suggest thepresident's interest in both a
mineral deal with Ukraine and apotential partnership with
resource rich Greenland havebeen motivated by reducing
(12:33):
America's dangerousover-reliance on China for these
critical manufacturingcomponents.
The challenge isn't justfinding alternative sources for
raw materials.
Even if the US secured its ownrare earth supplies, experts say
it would take years to buildthe facilities needed to process
these elements.
Horn explained the difficulty Ina lot of ways.
(12:54):
The midstream processing is themost difficult to do because
China owns all of it or controlsall of it.
So even if you dig it up, youhave to ship to Chinese
refineries exclusively.
Despite these hurdles, hornbelieves processing facilities
could be operational before 2026with immediate action, though
he cautions this would requiresignificant government support
(13:16):
through incentives, protectivemeasures and loan guarantees to
shield American companies fromChinese retaliation.
The stakes couldn't be higher.
Without these criticalmaterials, entire manufacturing
sectors could grind to a halt,threatening both economic
security and national defense.
The rare earth standoffrepresents yet another
(13:36):
flashpoint in the increasinglycomplex economic relationship
between the world's two largesteconomies.
Well, folks, that wraps uptoday's whirlwind tour through
the political landscape.
And what a ride it's been, fromcongressional Democrats trying
to get eyes on thatcontroversial Seacott prison in
El Salvador to the chilling caseof a Wisconsin teen allegedly
(13:59):
murdering his parents as part ofa larger plot to assassinate
President Trump Disturbing stuffthat reminds us how political
extremism can manifest in trulydangerous ways.
On the economic front, we'vegot NVIDIA dropping a cool half
trillion dollars to manufactureAI supercomputers right here in
the USA, with Trump promising tofast-track those permits faster
(14:21):
than a New York minute.
It's a massive win for domestictech manufacturing, though time
will tell how it plays againstthe backdrop of ongoing trade
tensions.
And speaking of those tensions,china's decision to cut off
rare earth exports is no smallmatter.
It's a stark reminder of justhow vulnerable our supply chains
remain and why reshoringcritical industries isn't just
(14:43):
political talk.
It's increasingly a matter ofnational security.
What connects these stories?
America's changing position ina rapidly evolving global
landscape.
Whether it's immigration policy, domestic extremism,
technological competition orresource security, we're
witnessing real-time adjustmentsto how the US operates, both at
(15:03):
home and abroad.
If you're enjoying ourno-nonsense approach to the
day's events.
Make sure to follow us on X atRanting RP.
You can also catch us onYouTube, spotify, iheartradio
and Apple Podcasts, and forexclusive content and our full
archive, head over toRantingPoliticscom.
This is JOC signing off andthank you, our loyal listeners,
(15:25):
for choosing Ranting PoliticsHeadline Updates.
We'll be back soon with theupdates you need to navigate
these interesting times.
Until then, stay tuned, stayinformed and, as always, stay
free.
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