Trump has recently changed his tune on China. Currently, China has a “nuclear option” that can cripple the US economy: rare earth elements. We are almost entirely dependent on China for these essential materials. China has already banned rare earth exports to the US, but granted us a temporary waiver that will expire in November unless it is extended or a new trade agreement is reached.

Why else would Trump talk about allowing the Chinese to sell EVs in the US–a move that would certainly decimate domestic automakers who can’t compete? Perhaps the calculus is that losing an auto industry is better than losing our entire economy–something that is all but certain since rare earths are critical to almost all modern manufacturing.

The US remains virtually held hostage by China for the next two years while trying to build out domestic processing capabilities, despite efforts by the Pentagon and others to fast-track local production and secure alternative foreign supply chains. Behind all of Beijing’s provocative moves is the stark reality that China monopolizes critical supply chains, giving it unprecedented strategic leverage. However, this dominance may make Beijing dangerously overconfident–forging an existential threat that leaves the other side with nothing to lose—and history reminds us that the annihilations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were born from this exact dynamic. An economic war, left unchecked, can quickly become a kinetic one. We must remind Beijing that the United States is not out of options—nuclear or otherwise. What’s more, the US is full of Christians like me who remain undaunted by the prospect of world destruction because our hope rests not in this present world, but in the world to come. In fact, we are expecting the end to come soon, and we’ve been preparing for this exact scenario for a long time. God help us all.

“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21: 28