Former Commerce Sec. Gina Raimondo: Economic security is just as important as military might
Watch on YouTube ↗  |  February 13, 2026 at 14:52 UTC  |  4:57  |  CNBC
Speakers
Gina Raimondo — Former Commerce Secretary

Summary

  • Economic security (supply chains, AI, biotech, quantum) is now explicitly equated with military might and national safety.
  • China is described as "ready, willing and able" to weaponize critical minerals and rare earths against the US.
  • While the US focuses on "winning the race" in AI development, Raimondo notes China is currently ahead in AI diffusion (adoption) because government mandates on job security reduce worker fear of displacement.
  • The US workforce is currently unprepared for AI disruption, requiring significant government intervention in retraining to prevent a repeat of the "China shock" labor crisis.
Trade Ideas
Ticker Direction Speaker Thesis Time
MP /REMX
LONG Gina Raimondo
Former Commerce Secretary 		Raimondo explicitly states, "China is ready, willing and able to weaponize their critical minerals, rare earths and supply chain." If the primary global supplier (China) weaponizes these assets, the US Government will be forced to aggressively subsidize and protect domestic and allied sources to ensure "economic security." This creates a structural tailwind for non-Chinese rare earth miners and processors. LONG domestic/allied critical mineral producers as national security assets. China flooding the market temporarily to crush competitors before restrictions tighten; regulatory hurdles for new US mines. —
AI SECTOR /QUANTUM COMPUTING SECTOR /BIOTECH/VACCINE DEVELOPERS
LONG Gina Raimondo
Former Commerce Secretary 		Raimondo defines economic security as "leading in artificial intelligence, leading in biotech and quantum" and states the US must "make sure that we are winning the AI race." The US government views these specific sectors not just as commercial industries but as components of "military might." This implies sustained government funding, defense contracts, and protectionist policies to ensure US hegemony over China in these fields. LONG US strategic technology sectors (AI, Quantum, Biotech) as they are effectively government-backed imperatives. High valuation multiples in tech; potential export controls limiting total addressable market (TAM) in China. 1:22
CHINESE AI
WATCH Gina Raimondo
Former Commerce Secretary 		She admits, "China is ahead in the diffusion and the number of people and the number of companies using AI." She attributes this to government mandates that force companies to find new jobs for laid-off workers, reducing social friction/fear around adoption. While the US leads in high-end model generation (the "race"), China may lead in practical application and data gathering (the "diffusion") due to lower social resistance. This suggests Chinese AI application layers could monetize faster internally than expected, despite hardware bans. WATCH for signs that diffusion leadership translates to financial performance, though geopolitical risk remains the dominant factor. US sanctions/export controls; Chinese regulatory unpredictability. —