Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Wednesday that President Donald Trump's overall political strategy which includes foreign policy and tariffs is "making sure that America can be secure."
Mast told "Newsline" that the Trump administration's interest in Greenland is in part about security through the raw materials the North Atlantic island nation can provide.
"Well, it matters that we have the minerals that we need to be the most important defense economy across the globe so that we don't have to go to China for the minerals," he said. "We don't have to go to China for the refinement of those minerals. We don't have to go to China for the finished product that goes inside of a larger product that we need for defense."
Mast said the positioning created by Trump's tariffs to bring production and manufacturing to American soil is critical to the survival of the U.S.
"And ultimately, we don't have to go to China for the entire defense production of anything because we allowed ourselves to get to a point that we have what we need to make what we need or to get what we need or produce what we need," he said.
Mast serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which helps oversee many of the issues involved in America's security, along with countries aligned with the U.S.
"That's what this is all about, is making sure that America can be secure, can defend ourselves and can provide to others what they need to defend themselves like Europe," he said.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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