The Most Valuable Thing Washington Never Touched: Former CIA Advisor Uncovers the Untapped Resource That Outlasted Wars, Bailouts, and Bureaucracy

Jim Rickards Says This Hidden Asset Is Still Intact—And Its Time May Finally Be Here

/EIN News/ -- WASHINGTON, April 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Through every war, recession, bailout, and political cycle—almost nothing in Washington has been left untouched.

Except this.

According to Jim Rickards, former CIA advisor and economic strategist, the U.S. government has quietly preserved one of the most valuable resources in American history. Not by exploiting it. Not by monetizing it. But by leaving it alone.

“It survived everything,” Rickards says. “The Great Depression. Two world wars. The 2008 crash. COVID. Washington touched everything—except this.”

Now, after a historic Supreme Court ruling in 2024, that resource may finally be activated for the first time in over 160 years.

NEVER SPENT. NEVER RAIDED. NEVER EVEN DISCUSSED.

The asset, Rickards explains, is a federally protected mineral reserve embedded in post-Civil War law and locked beneath government-controlled land. Copper. Lithium. Silver. Rare earths. Critical for infrastructure, defense, energy, and tech.

“It’s been in the ground the whole time,” Rickards says. “And somehow, no one in power ever found a way to misuse it. That’s rare.”

A SUPREME COURT DECISION CHANGES THE GAME

The 2024 Supreme Court decision overturning the Chevron Doctrine dramatically reduced the authority of federal agencies to block access to land and resources.

“Chevron was the shield,” Rickards explains. “It let unelected regulators bury this thing in red tape. Now that shield is gone.”

With the regulatory wall removed, Rickards believes the legal path to unlocking the reserve is now wide open.

A National Asset Washington Never Touched

Rickards is quick to point out: this isn’t oil. It’s not cash. It’s not a budget line. It’s a tangible, strategic advantage that’s been legally preserved but completely unutilized.

“This is the only asset Washington never borrowed against,” he says. “And now it may become the most important one we’ve got.”

THE LAST THING THEY DIDN’T SPEND COULD BE THE FIRST THING THAT SAVES US

With economic pressure mounting and foreign supply chains tightening, Rickards argues that this untouched resource may be the only card left to play that doesn’t cost a dime to access.

“This isn’t new. It’s just finally becoming visible,” Rickards says. “And it may be the reset button no one saw coming.”

About Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards is a lawyer, economist, and former advisor to the CIA, Pentagon, and U.S. Treasury. A specialist in financial warfare, national crisis planning, and intelligence analysis, Rickards has advised senior leaders through every major economic disruption of the last four decades. He is the bestselling author of Currency Wars, The Death of Money, and Aftermath.

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