economy
Trump is losing his war of independence on rare earths
Inefficiency, untrustworthiness and cronyism are weakening the administration’s plans to stand up to China

TL;DR
- The administration's plans to stand up to China are being weakened.
- Inefficiency is a contributing factor to this weakening.
- Untrustworthiness within the administration is also a problem.
- Cronyism is further undermining the effectiveness of the plans.