America Can Be Better Tomorrow': Wes Moore Promotes Message Of Positivity At SC Dem Party Event

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpZaHFHNJOU

 Jun 2, 2025

At a South Carolina Democratic Party event on Saturday, Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) spoke about the future of the United States.

 

Transcript

0:00

and anybody who is talking about

0:04

2028 doesn't understand the urgency of

0:10

2025 doesn't understand the

0:13

assault that we are under right now

0:17

These are serious

0:20

times and we have a bunch of unserious

0:26

people who are making these decisions

0:28

and making life harder for our

0:31

families making it difficult for us to

0:34

build

0:36

legacies making it more challenging to

0:39

say that we understand the assignment of

0:42

now But we have to

0:45

remember these are not the times for us

0:47

to feel

0:49

powerless These are times for us to

0:51

understand our

0:55

power We stand on the

0:58

shoulders of those who saw

1:01

injustice and we're still impatient for

1:04

change and knew that they will be the

1:07

ones to lead the charge

1:10

We stand on the shoulders of people

1:13

like Mary Mloud

1:15

Bthoon who was born in

1:18

Mazeville founded the National Council

1:20

of Negro

1:22

Women three decades before the passage

1:25

of the Voting Rights Act

1:28

We stand on the shoulders of people like

1:30

Robert Smalls

1:32

Born into slavery in

1:34

Buford but escaped to his

1:37

freedom And after a civil war he

1:40

represented the people of South Carolina

1:43

in the United States Congress

1:46

[Applause]

1:50

We stand on the

1:53

shoulders of another son of the Palmetto

1:56

State my

1:59

grandpa Reverend Dr James Joshua

2:05

Thomas who had a deep Jamaican accent

2:08

his entire

2:11

life but had South Carolina grit all

2:14

through his bones

2:18

a deep Jamaican accent his entire

2:21

life but maybe was the most patriotic

2:24

American that I've ever

2:26

met He

2:31

loved He loved this

2:34

country He loved this country not

2:37

because he was

2:38

ignorant of this country's complicated

2:41

past In fact it's the opposite He was

2:44

born into this country's complicated

2:48

past But he loved this country

2:52

because of what it

2:56

represented a hope for a better

2:59

future He knew that America was the most

3:02

unique experiment in the history of the

3:06

world And that

3:08

promise was worth protecting

3:12

And just before I deployed for

3:13

Afghanistan with the

3:16

82nd Yeah Oh

3:20

airborne My grandfather gave me a Bible

3:23

And y'all know it's one of those you

3:24

know little Bibles just a New Testament

3:25

in it Little ones green copy So it

3:29

literally was small enough it fit right

3:30

in my flack vest And I put it in my

3:31

flack vest before I went on every

3:33

mission And uh on the front cover he um

3:38

he wrote an inscription and it just

3:40

simply

3:41

said "Have faith not

3:44

fear." And I used to recite that before

3:47

I went on every mission Have faith not

3:49

fear Have faith not fear Have faith not

3:51

fear I might have recited before I got

3:53

up here to give this speech

3:57

But my grandfather also understood

3:58

something too That while he wrote faith

4:01

not fear in the front of that Bible he

4:03

also understood that as the Bible says

4:05

that faith without work is

4:10

[Applause]

4:12

dead Have faith not fear but faith

4:16

without work is dead

4:19

So all my friends if you share the same

4:23

optimism that I feel if you share the

4:26

same aspirations that I know if you know

4:30

in your heart that America can be better

4:32

tomorrow than it is today then let us

4:35

refuse to be the party that is governed

4:37

by fear And let us have faith that our

4:39

cause is just and that our vision is

4:42

true And then let us turn around and

4:45

turn that faith into action Let those

4:48

actions be our legacy And let that

4:51

legacy be those that our children will

4:53

know that we understood the assignment

4:56

Not tomorrow not next week but right

4:59

here and right now It is with that

5:02

action that we will lead It is with that

5:04

action that we will win With God as our

5:10

protector with God as our protector

5:15

with the wind at our

5:17

back and knowing that there is no weapon

5:20

that is formed against us that shall

5:24

prosper Let us strive boldly into a

5:28

future that those who came before us

5:30

hope for and those who come after us

5:32

that they deserve So God bless you Thank

5:35

you so much and let's leave no one

5:38

behind

5:39

[Music]

5:41

[Applause]

https://www.npr.org/2025/06/02/nx-s1-5413517/trump-gold-card-visa-immigration-border-gold-green-card-migration-wealthy-five-million 

Trump's $5 million Gold Card offers the rich a fast lane to residency

June 2, 20255:01 AM ET

By 

Tovia Smith

President Donald Trump holds up the $5 million gold card as he speaks to reporters while in flight on board Air Force One, en route to Miami, Thursday, April 3, 2025.

Pool via AP/AP

Lawyers' phones are ringing with wealthy foreigners wanting to know more about how to score a "Gold Card" – a glorified green card that would allow them to live and work in the U.S. without going through the usual hassle or red tape. Apparently, the card's $5 million price tag is not scaring off the jet-setters looking to make the U.S. home. Or at least one of their homes.

"$5 million to these people is jet fuel cost. It means nothing to them," says Matthew Kolken, an immigration lawyer from Buffalo, NY, who has Canadian clients asking about the Gold Card. The clients declined to comment, but Kolken says he thinks the Gold Card is underpriced, if anything, considering the time and hassle it would save foreign multi-millionaires.

"It allows them to potentially buy their way into the United States," says Kolken. "They would just be able to throw down their Amex Black Card."

And plenty are interested.

"I have one from India, one from Pakistan, and two from Egypt. And a colleague who has a few [clients] from Russia," says immigration attorney Mona Shah. Most are drawn to the offer of an express lane to permanent residency, plus more favorable tax implications; foreign nationals living in the U.S. on a Gold Card would only be taxed on their U.S. earnings.

Shah says the security — and the status — of being able to flash that "Gold Card" to get waved into the U. S. is also a big draw, as well as what Trump has described as "privileges - plus." The president hasn't elaborated on what that means, but Shah says clients are imagining VIP perks that range from easy loans to a special fast-track lane through Customs at U.S. airports.

"They seem to believe that this is going to be some kind of separating first class from economy class, and that this is some kind of 'red carpet' visa and they will be treated like a VIP everywhere," says Shah.

But whether any such perks – or obligations – will come with the Gold Card remains far from clear, and the administration is not offering any more details some three months after President Donald Trump first started hyping the idea.

"It's a great thing, the Gold Card. Remember the words 'the Gold Card!'" he proclaimed to reporters in the Oval Office in February. "Wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card. They'll be wealthy and they'll be successful and they'll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people. And we think it's going to be extremely successful, never been done before anything like this."

Trump added that he'd be happy to call it the "Trump Gold Card." In fact officials say a government website is now using the name TrumpCard.gov, and Trump has since revealed a sample card with a picture of his face on the front.

Trump has said the proceeds of the Gold Card would go to help pay down the budget deficit, and possibly even chip away at the massive $36.2 trillion national debt.

"We'll be able to sell maybe a million of these cards, maybe more than that," Trump said. "A million cards would be worth $5 trillion. And if you sell 10 million of the cards, that's a total of $50 trillion. We have $35 trillion in debt. That'd be nice."

But most immigration experts and attorneys see that figure as wildly unrealistic. They expect sales to be in the low thousands.

Immigration lawyer Darren Silver says he's received a flurry of calls about the Gold Card, but interest wanes as soon as he explains this program is not like the existing EB-5 visa program, which requires an investment of something closer to $1 million in a business that creates jobs or $800,000 for investments in a lower-income 'targeted employment area.'

Silver says his clients are surprised when he tells them the Gold Card is not an investment that might offer any returns. It's effectively just a donation.

"I had to explain to them, 'you're gifting the U.S. government $5 million. That's all you're doing.'" says Silver. "And once I explain that to them, they're out."

Similar programs offering residency or citizenship in exchange for investments have been tried in multiple other countries, including Malta, Greece, Portugal, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates. Many of those countries have faced challenges and a number have recently ended their programs.

In April, Malta's "Golden Visa" program was deemed to be in violation of EU law and ordered shut down. Spain's program was terminated after it was blamed for driving up housing prices. A UK program shut down in 2022 amid issues involving national security, illicit funds and money laundering. Similar concerns ended programs in Cyprus, Ireland, Bulgaria.

"We've seen that these programs attract unsavory characters," says Kate Hooper, senior policy analyst with the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute. "Time and again, the issue has been that these programs aren't very good at tracing who investors actually are and where their money comes from. Those are real challenges to running effective, investor visa programs and we're seeing more of these programs fold."

Trump has said Gold Card applicants will be "very carefully" vetted. But he didn't do much to allay concerns when a reporter asked if Russian oligarchs, for example, would be eligible for gold cards.

"Yeah possibly," Trump replied. "I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people."

The Trump administration will also face other challenges, including managing the optics of rolling out the red carpet to welcome uber-wealthy and privileged foreigners at the very same time that the administration is actively detaining and deporting large numbers of immigrants of lesser means, for a variety of reasons.

"The Gold card is straight out capitalism at its height," says attorney Shah. "I think the founding fathers might roll over in their graves if they knew we were selling residency in this manner."

But supporters say opening up a special new lane for wealthy immigrants ultimately helps everyone.

"We're really short on money right now in the U.S. Treasury and this would seem to be a better way to get money than to raise taxes on American citizens," says Stephen Moore, a former Trump economic advisor and a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation. "We can take the huddled masses, and we can take the people who are very wealthy, they're not mutually exclusive."

John Lettieri, CEO of the Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan think tank, agrees. He sees the Gold Card as a good step toward creating a more merit-based immigration system.

"Right now, we grant visas on a lottery basis that's totally random and blind to attracting and retaining the best and brightest people from around the world, and we need to be more conducive to that kind of talent if we want to maintain the [competitive] edge that we have right now," he says. "The Gold Card is not a handout. We're getting something very substantial in return, and it can be a very significant way to offset the cost of other very important programs that Americans depend on."

A whole separate question is whether Trump can legally do what he's proposing without approval from congress. Immigration lawyers, some Democrats as well as some Republican lawmakers and conservative immigration experts say he cannot. But Trump insists it's "totally legal" since he's offering only permanent residency, and is stopping short of offering citizenship.

Meantime, while the wealthy wait and ponder the risks and benefits of a Gold Card, late-night comedy shows and the internet are having some fun with the Gold Card idea. In one post on X, a woman offered to beat Trump's offer, with what she called a $1 million dollar "discount." For just $4 million, she posted, she would help an uber-rich foreigner come to America by marrying him.

More Stories From NPR

Immigration

The White House is deporting people to countries they're not from. Why?

 

dadadrumpf met with Reince Priebus

   

rotten tomatoes

 

dadadrumpf met with Reince Priebus -----— 

he should have been met with rancid produce

the 40 days of trumpmas - a surreal serial poem

 

  

Remember, remember! The fifth of trumpvember

 the 40 days of trumpmas - a serial poem

 

for 40 days the trumpeter reigns,

his lies and hate on whom he disdains,

but election day will come so soon,

we'll no longer hear the orange baboon;

 

in 39 days full of world wide problems.

we could elect him to get rid of the muslims,

but as he'll rant on trivialities of his presidential life,

what could be worse? - you could be his wife;

 

in 38 days just what will you do?

the donald has said he likes lgbtq,

but as he bullies his women and all his men too,

if youre questioning, what stops him from bullying you?

 

in just 37 days, some people are saying,

(or pleading or hoping or some even praying)

the duke of prunes will dye his forelock purple my friend,

and thus make america grape again,

 

our days are down to just 36,

before our problems the don will fix,

he will on day one do what hes said - true,

he'll wall out our enemies - and fat women too!

 

on the 35th day of trumpmas

yes just seven weeks remain!

will the polls and tallies deliver us

donald with his golden mane?

 

34 days and the vice-pipers have piped,

though pence didnt say why donalds suit shouldnt be striped,

he wouldnt defend his master's string pulling,

to make america great? - who do they think they're fooling?

 

just 33 days till the macho tornado,

unless its blown away by hurricane machado,

with women and voters he has so much to loose.

keep your mouth shut donald (unless youre changing your shoes)

 

32 days and we’ve been hit by the big blowhard,

donald spoke here in fla (oh, we had a hurricane too)

this administration gives us playing the race card, a weak economy, and unemployment

but if you want a job you could be donald’s campaign manager (unless youre a jew)

 

31 days, just a month, remains;

will the donald say hes sorry, and his baser impulses restrain?

or keep blaming bill clinton for our moral demise;

when trump speaks to us, our NO votes must be our replies!

 

election comes this time (in 30 days) each 4 years,

time for praise and tears and fears;

as polls will open in many states,

vote early, please dont vote late!

 

down to 29, just a leap february,

and theres still the donald quite

contrary;

donald donald, how does your garden grow?

quoth the master debater, "with pretty maids groped in a row"

 

just 28 days - later or soon,

and the zombies will rise, led by the big goon;

unless everyone gets a reality inoculation,

i might have to move to canada for a well deserved vacation; 

 

now just 27, less than 4 weeks,

no time for you to say 'yikes!' or 'eeeks!'

obama wants to go to mars and colonize it for man,

lets send trump tomorrow! and colonize it for orangutan!

 

26 days are all that remain,

will our democracy and economy go down the drain?

if we all keep listening to the blustering oaf,

will he give jobs and prosperity? - or just half a loaf

 

25 days - will more women speak?,

of the antics of donald who the presidency seeks,

dating 14 year old girls or groping their mothers,

how did the gop pick him over the others?,

 

24 days - were down to two dozen,

the next woman who speaks just might be your cousin,

or mother or sister, aunt, niece, even daughter,

describing the circumstance in which donald caught her,

 

23 days left and trump doesnt yet have as many accusers,

as cosby, but he assures us that they are all really losers,

sent by bankers or hillary with secret agendas,

to disrupt our election of him - our defender!,

 

22 days and we know charity begins at home,

but donalds attention is so prone to roam,

his gift that disappeared to 911 survivors from his foundation?,

oops! maybe donald spent it on a vacation,

 

21 days and trump says the election may be rig-ly,

if hes not the winner and his total's not big-ly,

tremendously higher than hillary gets,

he warns his supporters may all lose their wits,

 

20 days left and while george zimmerman still walks free,

the man who shot at HIM got 20 years - while trayvon got eternity,

trump wants us to support our cops and maintain law and order,

he'll put all the inner city dwellers in jail, and send the immigrant criminals far across the border,

 

19 days left till we all go to pretend,

to elect someone to lead us, as if on it our lives depend,

but wise man, donald trump, already really knows,

who we really voted for - a wolf in president's clothes?,

 

18 days and we bad hombres demand a rebate,

on the ill feelings left since the comments of one candidate,

the debaters have met in their final grudge match,

but only donald can say from whose hands victory will be snatched,

 

17 days and our government is corrupt with quid pro quo,

did you take latin at wharton? is that how you know?,

donald wants us to fire at them all - the bureaucrats lined up in rows,

and believe me, corruption is a subject. that donald really knows,

 

16 days - lets set term limits on all our office holders,

and put all our women in binders - or maybe in folders,

donalds endless complaints are becoming a sour whine,

have a little cheese with that, from wisconsin, where 

hillary's doing fine,

 

15 days and on stocking covered thighs did linger,

two miniature hands with two thumbs and eight tiny fingers,

they belonged to the donald who believed that he owned,

any thing that he wanted - or anyone he got alone,

 

14 days yes only two weeks,

till the duke of orange assends to the throne he seeks?,

to rule all americans, the strong and the weak?,

and dominate the globe with power that's peak?,

 

the 13th day to go - does that seem unlucky?,

not for donald whos lately been appearing quite plucky,

claiming media, polls, and parties are against him,

and rallying his multitudes with wit waxing dim,

 

on the 12th day of trumpmas donald awoke with a jerk,

promptly fired his latest campaign manager (who considered that a perk),

if youre "AAAfroAAAmurikan" and unemployed i can put you to work,

barked donald the businessman from behind his sly smirk,

 

it's the 11th and engineer casey trump is in the caboose,

i hear some of you saying oh no! what's the use,

our campaign will probably just go off the tracks,

but donald says its ok - cause he's got "the blacks",

 

just ten days left yes only one-zero,

til donald is hoping that he'll be your hero,

as new hillary emails come under investigation,

donald hopes to rename camp david to camp donald for

his vacations,

 

like a cat has nine lives we're left with only 9 days,

till we're subject to donald? and his old wicked ways,

on foreign affairs he says he'll save us from isis,

but his domestic affairs are misogyny and crisis,

 

our days are numbered - yes only eight,

till once again we make america great,

by getting rid of candidates who have nothing to add,

goodbye donald you wont make america sad,

 

just one week to go - its day minus seven,

till america's lifted above - to trumpty dump heaven?,

where for rich folks like donald opportunity abounds,

and we keep the working poor with a wall that surrounds,

 

how the time it does fly its already day 6,

till americans problems the donald will fix,

his solutions begin on trumpday number one,

dont you like them? they'll come at the barrel of a gun,

 

Five days to go, baby, One in five,

No one here gets out alive, now,

david dukes not opposed to all jews,

he backs trump - who are you going to choose?,

 

only 4 days left till the armaged-don,

he'll seize power by the horns once he has won,

and donnie will be what he longs for - a winner,

using the FBI to wreak havoc on hillary the sinner,

 

only three left, just a triad of days,

and the donald his supporters continues to amaze,

with hoopla and folderoll made up in his head,

his winning temperament will leave us all dead,

 

just a pair of days - 2 - till trump paradise,

since these words you're reading please heed my advice,

the creatures that surround us are beginning to bite,

'blacks for trump' fear the Illuminati so lets turn out their light,

 

just a single day left till our thanksgiving,

deliver us from donald and preserve the living,

forget sanity and disgard your misgivings,

but pray hard to your gods that they'll be forgiving,

since we've got the nukes why can't we use'em?,

on the road to 2016 why couldn't we lose HIM?,

 

and trumpmas now has finally come,

the tallies will count up to a winning sum,

unless the earth is struck soon by a cataclysmic comet,

to elect a candidate who just makes you want to vomit?,

we wish you a merry trumpmas at this time each 4 years,

if you have'nt voted you've lost the chance to mitigate your fears,

cause donald duck is ready to lead, forget your crocodile tears,

so you'd better get the vaseline and lubricate your rears!

https://abcnews.go.com/US/anniversary-hush-money-conviction-trump-continues-fight-criminal/story?id=122325361 

 

Trump was convicted of 34 felonies a year ago. He's still battling the case

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals has set oral arguments for June 11.

ByPeter Charalambous

Video byJessie DiMartino

May 30, 2025, 8:49 AM

• 
  

• 
  

 

Trump's hush money trial: Biggest takeawaysABC News breaks down the key moments from Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial. Jurors heard 16 days of testimony from 22 witnesses and saw nearly 30...

One year ago today, a jury of 12 New Yorkers convicted Donald Trump for falsifying business records as part of an alleged hush money scheme to influence the 2016 election.

The conviction left an indelible mark on Trump -- making him the first president or former president to be found guilty of a crime -- and his fight to erase that legacy continues to this day.

On June 11, a federal appeals court in Manhattan is set to hear oral arguments in the president's renewed legal fight to move his criminal case from state to federal court.

MORE: Timeline: Manhattan DA's Stormy Daniels hush money case against Donald Trump

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg opposes the move -- arguing that a case can't be removed to federal court after conviction -- but Trump's lawyers have argued the "unprecedented criminal prosecution of a former and current president of the United States belongs in federal court."

Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts after prosecutors alleged that he engaged in a "scheme" to boost his chances during the 2016 presidential election through a series of hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and the falsification of New York business records to cover up that alleged criminal conduct.

"I did my job, and we did our job," Bragg said following Trump's conviction. "There are many voices out there, but the only voice that matters is the voice of the jury, and the jury has spoken."

Ten days before Trump was sworn in as president last November, New York Judge Juan Merchan sentenced him to an unconditional discharge -- without prison, fines or probation -- saying it was the "only lawful sentence" to prevent "encroaching upon the highest office in the land."

New York State Judge Juan Merchan sentences President-elect Donald Trump as he appears remotely alongside his lawyer Todd Blanche for a sentencing hearing as prosecutor Joshua Steinglass listens...

Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

"I won the election in a massive landslide, and the people of this country understand what's gone on. This has been a weaponization of government," Trump told the court during his sentencing.

Trump continues to vehemently deny any wrongdoing, and his lawyers have argued that his conviction relied on evidence and testimony that related to his official acts as president, including social media posts from his official Twitter account as president and testimony from his former communications director Hope Hicks.

The trial took place one month before the Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling expanding the scope of presidential immunity, and Trump's lawyers have argued that the evidence would have not been permitted based on the high court's ruling.

Trump's lawyers attempted to use that argument to throw out the case before Trump's January sentencing, but the argument was rejected by Judge Juan Merchan, two New York appeals courts, and the Supreme Court.

"The alleged evidentiary violations at President-Elect Trump's state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal," the Supreme Court said in a brief unsigned opinion, though four justices said they would have granted Trump's application.

For Trump's criminal defense, he relied on then-defense attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who now serve as the deputy attorney general and principal associate deputy attorney general. Earlier this week, Trump announced that he plans to nominate Bove -- who led a purge of career law enforcement officials before the Senate confirmed his nomination to help run the DOJ -- to the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.

MORE: Trump sentencing transcript: Listen to Trump's entire hush money sentencing hearing

With his former defense attorneys now working for the government, Trump earlier this year tapped the elite Manhattan law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell to handle his criminal appeal.

Lawyers with the Department of Justice also filed an amicus brief in the case this week to argue that the case should be heard -- and thrown out -- by a federal court because the jury's conviction relied on evidence that was covered by presidential immunity.

"That President Trump's defense in fact takes the form of a new constitutional immunity announced by the Supreme Court after his trial ended, rather than a new statute enacted by Congress, should if anything cut in the President's favor," lawyers with the Department of Justice argued in a brief submitted on Tuesday.

The appeal -- as well as the ongoing appeal of Trump's $83 million judgment in the E. Jean Carroll civil case and half-billion-dollar civil fraud case -- is proceeding on uncharted legal grounds as Trump wields the power of the presidency in his defense. He has characterized the prosecutors who pursued the cases against him as politically motivated, and has touted his electoral victory last November as a political acquittal.

"The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people," Trump told reporters as he left court following his conviction last year. "And they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here."

Related Topics

• President Trump

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 https://www.axios.com/2025/05/31/rubio-trump-china-students-tariffs-rare-minerals

 

May 31, 2025 - Politics & Policy

The rare minerals battle behind Rubio's ban on Chinese students

• Marc Caputo

• 
  

Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Anna Moneymaker and Win McNamee/Getty Images

When Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly announced plans Wednesday to cancel the visas of all Chinese students in the U.S., the Trump administration was quick to cast it as a way to root out spies from the communist nation.

• But behind the scenes, what really set off Rubio was the administration's realization that China was withholding precious rare-earth minerals and magnets as a tariff negotiating tool, sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: The decision to target as many as 280,000 Chinese students — and throw another complication into the ongoing trade talks with China — reflects how crucial rare minerals are to the U.S. tech industry.

• It also signaled how angry President Trump was after deciding China was operating in bad faith.

Zoom in: That's what inspired Trump's Truth Social post on Friday: "China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US."

• "So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!"

Zoom in: The materials at issue are crucial for computing and telecom equipment, F-35 fighter jets, drones, submarines and the Joint Direct Attack Munition series of smart bombs.

• The seven minerals include samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium-related items.

Zoom out: Under President Xi Jinping's "Made in China 2025" initiative launched a decade ago, China has come to dominate the mining and processing of these minerals and other precious materials, such as lithium used in batteries.

• The U.S. is the world's second-largest producer of rare-earth minerals but is dwarfed by China, which controls about 70% of mining and roughly 90% of the processing of such minerals globally, according to a Reuters report citing International Energy Agency estimates.

The big picture: Many of China's ruling party elite, including Xi, have sent their children to study in the United States. Targeting those students sends a message to leaders of the Chinese Communist Party.

• Rubio has long been a China hawk. As a senator in 2024, he issued a report, "The World China Made," that warned it could soon have "effective control over strategic supply chains" of the materials.
• He also sounded an alarm about China spying through U.S. educational opportunities.
• "If you're a Chinese spy trying to get into America, you don't really have to cross the border," he told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo in June 2024. "You can just become a graduate student at one of our universities or become a visa employee at one of our tech companies."
• As secretary of state, Rubio has launched several initiatives to monitor and revoke the visas of foreign students.

What they're saying: Education groups criticized Rubio's move. Asian Americans Advancing Justice said that "national security should undeniably be a top priority — but resorting to fearmongering, racial profiling, and xenophobia is never the answer."

• Trump's administration unapologetically sees Chinese students as leverage.
• "This is about national security, trade, our economy," a senior administration official said. "Everything is a negotiation."

The timeline: Trump launched his latest trade and tariff war on April 2, calling it "Liberation Day. Two days later, China required that companies receive export licenses for the seven minerals. The licenses restrict the flow of the minerals out of the country.

• On May 11, the U.S. and China announced a preliminary trade deal. The two sides paused their retaliatory tariffs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer negotiated for the U.S.

• On May 12, when asked by Fox News' Laura Ingraham whether rare-earth export restrictions had been lifted, Greer said: "Yep. The Chinese have agreed to remove those countermeasures."
• But on May 20, CNN confirmed reporting from other publications that China wasn't "getting rid of its controls over rare earths," despite the trade truce.

The reports confirmed what administration officials had encountered in private talks with China: It was playing rare-earth hardball.

• "China cheats. It's what they do," Trump said, according to a White House official briefed on the president's comments in a subsequent meeting with his trade team.
• "The president wasn't happy," the official said. "He was looking for ideas, and Rubio had this idea of Chinese students."
• In a statement to Axios, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Rubio "made this decision in the administration's ongoing effort to protect our homeland from espionage and other hostile actions."

Just before 7 p.m. Wednesday, Rubio announced on X that the "U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields."

• About that time, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick informed several U.S. companies they needed to limit or stop exporting certain types of software, semiconductor chemicals, machine tools, aviation equipment, butane and ethane, according to Reuters.
• On Thursday, Bessent acknowledged on Fox News that trade negotiations "are a bit stalled."
• On Friday, Trump followed up with his statement blasting China.

Hours later Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was on CNN, linking Rubio's announcement to the China trade talks.

• China's industrial strategy, he said, "has been to use the student visa program to conduct espionage on America's industrial trade secrets ... our universities, our high-tech research and even our nation's most sensitive and classified projects and programs."
• The extra scrutiny of Chinese visas will protect "the security of America's own engineering, scientific and medical research."

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• Sareen Habeshian,
• Marc Caputo

Updated May 29, 2025 - Politics & Policy

U.S. to begin revoking visas for Chinese students