Fusion fuel is plentiful and easily accessible: deuterium can be extracted inexpensively from seawater, and tritium can potentially be produced from the reaction of fusion generated neutrons with naturally abundant lithium. These fuel supplies would last for millions of years.
The U.S. and China are in a fierce race to achieve the first grid-scale nuclear fusion energy. After decades of American leadership, China is catching up—investing twice as much and accelerating projects at record speed. Nuclear fusion offers a transformative energy solution, generating four times more energy per kilogram of fuel than traditional nuclear fission and an astonishing four million times more than burning coal, all while producing no greenhouse gases or long-term radioactive waste.
According to Ignition Research, if fusion technology progresses as planned, it could become a $1 trillion market by 2050. However, the U.S. risks losing its competitive edge. Budget cuts in the early 2000s forced American universities to halt research on new fusion machines, sending many U.S. scientists to train on foreign projects—including those in China. The irony is stark: the U.S. was the first to achieve large-scale fusion through the hydrogen bomb test in 1952, yet seven decades later, scientists worldwide are still working to harness its power for electricity.
Bob Mumgaard, co-founder and CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, criticized past decisions that led to this decline. “Instead of building new ones, we went to China and helped them build theirs, thinking, ‘Oh, that’d be great. They’ll have the facility. We’ll be really smart,’” he said. “Well, that was a big mistake.” While the U.S. has the highest number of active nuclear power plants, China is leading in new developments. Despite breaking ground on its first reactor nearly four decades after the U.S. pioneered the technology, China is now constructing more fission power plants than any other country.
If America wants to maintain its leadership in energy innovation, Trump—and all policymakers—must prioritize investment in nuclear fusion instead of scapegoating immigrants. The history of American innovation is deeply tied to immigration. Imagine a world without the iPhone—yet if Trump’s travel bans had been in place decades ago, Steve Jobs’ father, a Syrian immigrant, might never have come to the U.S. The same applies to countless Cuban immigrants who have shaped America, despite Cuba being on the restricted list.
Rather than stoking division, Trump should act as a statesman and focus on what truly benefits America: securing the future of energy leadership through nuclear fusion. The choice is clear—lead or fall behind.