Until recently, the U.S. and China were positioned to benefit from the clean-energy revolution. China already dominates manufacturing of solar panels, batteries, and wind turbines, and controls much of the rare earth minerals required to produce those clean technologies. Historically, the U.S. has led in research, innovation, and software, though China has overtaken us in many of these areas, such as electric vehicles and patents.

Now, Trump is ceding the field entirely, which amounts to nothing short of unilateral disarmament. His tax cuts have gutted U.S. clean‑energy incentives. He has withheld financial support for renewable energy and used red tape to kill off existing projects. Meanwhile, China’s investments in green solutions continue.