The United States invented GPS. But under Joe Biden, we ceded our leadership in critical technologies to China — and opened the door to disaster. With President Trump back in charge, we have a chance to correct course and secure the future of our economy and national defense.
GPS powers everything. From military operations to farmers in the field, from ATMs to Amazon delivery, satellite-based positioning underpins modern life. But the system has one glaring weakness: no backup. One solar flare, one jammed signal, one cyberattack could knock it out — and take everything with it. Microseconds of disruption could halt supply chains, stall air traffic, and put American lives at risk.
In his first term, Trump leapfrogged China in 5G development. Now we must do it again — with GPS.
The Chinese Communist Party knows it.
While Washington slept, China built a terrestrial backup to GPS — an old-school solution using low-frequency signals and bulky infrastructure, rooted in World War II-era tech. It’s not flashy. But it’s functional. And today, it gives Beijing an edge.
America now faces a choice: Copy China’s playbook — or leap ahead.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr (R) laid out the stakes in a recent Fox News interview with Maria Bartiromo. “During the Biden years, we fell deeply behind China,” Carr said. “The good news is we have the playbook. President Trump came in his first term and said we must lead the world in 5G. We did exactly that. … This Trump administration is going to step up again.”
Carr is right. We’ve seen this before. In his first term, Trump leapfrogged China in 5G development. Now we must do it again — with GPS.
That starts with backing a 5G-based backup for GPS. Unlike China’s clunky eLoran system, a 5G-based solution reflects American innovation. It uses ground-based infrastructure and existing networks to deliver a wide-scale, secure, and reliable alternative to GPS — without costing taxpayers a dime. Private industry could roll it out before the end of Trump’s term.
In other words: It’s shovel-ready, future-proof, and 100% Made in America.
Not everyone wants that. Some voices in the policy debate are pushing China’s model instead. And they’re not just misguided — they’re compromised.
As Breitbart recently reported, a coalition of anti-Trump interests and China-linked entities has tried to stall U.S. progress on GPS backup technology. One group, the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, consistently attacks 5G solutions. Unsurprisingly, the group’s founding members include UrsaNav — the very firm that helped build China and Russia’s eLoran networks.
These aren’t just competing policy proposals. They’re coordinated efforts to keep America vulnerable.
We didn’t win the Cold War by patching up the telegraph. We invented the internet. We didn’t defend our skies with rebuilt biplanes. We created stealth bombers and drones. The same principle applies here. This isn’t about replicating China’s last move. It’s about defining what comes next.
And we’ve already started.
Carr and the FCC have launched a formal proceeding to explore “positioning, navigation, and timing” alternatives. That builds on President Trump’s first-term legacy, when he signed bipartisan legislation to strengthen GPS resilience. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called it “crucial to the national and economic security of the United States.”
That leadership set the standard. Now we must finish the job.
We face a clear choice. One path copies the Chinese Communist Party and locks us into outdated infrastructure. The other unleashes American ingenuity and secures our future through private-sector innovation and Trump-era vision.
Let’s not backtrack. Let’s build forward. Let’s lead again.
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