Another one of President Donald Trump’s goons has given into the appeal of playing dress up for the sake of showing he means business.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright appeared on Fox News Friday in a hard hat, safety goggles, and reflective vest to announce the opening of a new rare earths mine. Wright stood safely in front of the cameras with his new outfit on as he announced the new energy project.
The former CEO of oil and gas giant Liberty Energy channeled his colleague Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for the TV hit, who has become a pro at playing dress up for the occasion. Noem—not unlike Attorney General Pam Bondi—has been spotted parading as U.S. Navy, a firewoman, a border patrol agent, and who knows what else since taking on her new role in Trump’s Cabinet.
But as for Wright, who has been tirelessly pushing unregulated energy across the U.S. with the help of his energy-focused Cabinet buddies—his outfit may be for show, but the mine is very real. The U.S. has officially opened its first rare earths mine in 70 years in Wyoming. The goods found in these mines have been a hot topic leading into Trump’s term when the president started talking about plans to take over Greenland because it is a mineral- and oil-dense island.
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And while Trump has presently eased on his idea to annex the peaceful territory of Denmark, the need for the U.S. to rely less on China’s supply of neodymium and dysprosium to fuel resources like electric car batteries and emerging AI technology is ever growing.
With that being said, players like Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have been working overtime to break ground on various different types of energy projects across the U.S. to fuel whatever resources tech and AI might need. From uranium to coal and now rare earth metals, the administration has openly cut corners to fast track mines in an attempt to get pickaxes into the dirt faster than ever.
As for why Wright needs to play dress up to do the dirty work, that one we don’t have an answer for.