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Foreign Policy Live

How Critical Minerals Explain Trump’s Policy

Foreign Policy Live

Foreign Policy

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.1622 Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Name a consistent throughline in the Trump administration’s foreign policy. The answer could very well be the global scramble for critical minerals. What are they and why are they so important? Why is China so far ahead and how can the United States catch up? Mining expert Gracelin Baskaran sits down with host Ravi Agrawal to discuss. Plus Ravi’s One Thing on Trump’s attacks on boats off the coast of Venezuela. Ravi Agrawal: The Minerals That Drive Trump’s Global Agenda Christina Lu: Trump’s Chaotic Agenda Has a Critical Through Line Rishi Iyengar: The Countries Courting Trump With Critical Minerals Alasdair Phillips-Robins: Xi May Have Miscalculated on Rare Earths Patrick Schröder: Why Rare Earths Are About to Cost a Lot More Rachel Oswald: Republicans Criticize Hegseth for Deadly Caribbean Double Strike Emma Ashford and Evan Cooper: Trump Should Stick to His Guns on Venezuela Ellen Knickmeyer: U.S.-Led Regime Change Is Usually Disastrous Keith Johnson: Trump’s Venezuela Fixation Is Not About the Oil Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:01.9

Hi, I'm Ravi Agrual, Foreign Policy's Editor-in-Chief.

1:06.2

This is FP Live. What drives the Trump administration's foreign policy?

1:14.5

It is a question we've asked many times on this program, and the answer is often America

1:19.8

first, which is declarative, but also vague.

1:24.0

Instead of conceptual ideas or academic theories, however, one of the organizing principles of

1:30.7

Trump's foreign policy could actually be physical and simple, access to critical minerals.

1:38.3

In this school of thought, Trump's interest in taking over Canada and Greenland or his desire

1:44.1

for deals with Ukraine or Pakistan

1:46.2

is all about acquiring minerals that are the building blocks of modern technology.

1:52.1

And that might explain policy choices that otherwise don't add up.

1:56.9

In a moment, we will speak with a top expert on critical minerals to understand what they are,

2:02.4

why they matter, and how they are influencing foreign policy.

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