The One Move America Hasn’t Made: Former CIA Advisor Warns the Nation Is Holding Back Its Most Strategic Advantage—Worth an Estimated $150 Trillion

Jim Rickards Says It’s Time to Rethink What National Power Really Looks Like in a Post-Chevron World

/EIN News/ -- WASHINGTON, May 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an age of global competition, technological warfare, and energy insecurity, former CIA advisor Jim Rickards says the United States may still be sitting on its most powerful card.

And no one in Washington seems willing to play it.

“We’ve tried tariffs. We’ve tried sanctions. We’ve tried subsidies,” Rickards says. “But there’s one thing we haven’t even touched — and it could be worth $150 trillion.”

THE UNTAPPED STRATEGIC EDGE

According to Rickards, large portions of federally managed land in the American West are home to mineral reserves essential to the modern world — including copper, lithium, silver, and rare earth elements. But decades of environmental restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles have kept them locked away.

“While China hoards supply chains and other nations race for global dominance,” he explains, “America is ignoring the ground it’s standing on.”

WHY THE SUPREME COURT RULING MATTERS

The 2024 Supreme Court ruling that overturned the Chevron Doctrine has weakened the grip of federal agencies, giving courts and Congress more power to reevaluate long-standing restrictions on resource access.

“This is a moment of legal realignment,” Rickards says. “And in that window, we have a chance to rethink what America controls — and what it’s capable of.”

THE NUMBER THAT CHANGES THE STAKES

Based on current and projected market estimates, Rickards believes the value of the untapped materials beneath federal land could reach $150 trillion — making it one of the largest underutilized strategic reserves in the world.

“It’s not just about minerals,” he says. “It’s about leverage. Economic, political, and military. And the sooner we understand that, the stronger we become.”

About Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards is a lawyer, economist, and former advisor to the CIA, Pentagon, and U.S. Treasury. With over four decades of experience in economic intelligence, risk forecasting, and national strategy, he is the author of Currency Wars, The Death of Money, and Aftermath.

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