Inside America’s Nuclear Comeback & AI Revolution

Summary

Morning Wire: Inside America’s Nuclear Comeback & AI Revolution

Released on May 18, 2025 by The Daily Wire

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Introduction

In the latest episode of Morning Wire, hosts John Bickley and Georgia Howe delve into the Trump administration's ambitious push for a nuclear renaissance aimed at boosting domestic energy production and powering the burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) sector. Amidst declining trust in traditional media, this episode seeks to provide an alternative perspective, emphasizing factual reporting over manufactured outrage.

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The Trump Administration's Nuclear Energy Plans

Georgia Howe opens the discussion by highlighting the Trump administration's strategic focus on revitalizing nuclear energy. According to senior editor Cabot Phillips, the administration views nuclear energy as pivotal for achieving energy independence and fueling the AI revolution.

[01:19] Cabot Phillips:
"If the Trump administration has their way, nuclear energy will very much be in the present. The president views it as crucial for making America energy independent and importantly, powering the AI revolution."

Phillips underscores that nuclear energy is no longer just a future possibility but is being actively integrated into current energy strategies. The administration has taken significant steps within the first hundred days to overhaul the nuclear energy sector, recognizing its critical role in sustaining advanced technologies.

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Visit to Oak Ridge National Laboratory

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the visit to Oak Ridge National Laboratory in East Tennessee, a site historically known for its role in the Manhattan Project during World War II. Today, Oak Ridge stands as a leading research facility driving American nuclear development.

[01:19] Cabot Phillips:
"Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the site of uranium enrichment for the Manhattan Project. And now, over 80 years later, it's the site of a new technological leap, one that could decide America's position in the world."

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, alongside Greg Brockman, co-founder of OpenAI, has convened America's top scientific minds at Oak Ridge to leverage its supercomputer, Frontier, in accelerating scientific innovation. This initiative aims to counter China's advancements in digital warfare by harnessing AI's potential.

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AI and Its Role in the Energy Renaissance

Greg Brockman provides an in-depth look into how AI is being integrated into nuclear research and other scientific endeavors at Oak Ridge.

[03:05] Greg Brockman:
"We're bringing together our AI with the work that they are doing. A thousand scientists are exploring how to use artificial intelligence to accelerate their work."

Brockman explains that AI is not only a significant energy consumer but also a tool that can unlock more energy by enhancing efficiencies across various research domains, including nuclear fusion and biology.

[04:24] Greg Brockman:
"AI is going to change our world, not just economically, but in science and also in national defense."

The administration's commitment to AI is framed as a crucial economic driver and a national priority to maintain America's leadership in technology.

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Competition with China: The New Arms Race

A recurring theme in the episode is the competitive race with China in both AI and nuclear technology. Cabot Phillips draws parallels between the current AI race and the historical Manhattan Project.

[05:07] Greg Brockman:
"AI has been around for a long time, but it's hitting critical mass now. In the next few years, AI is going to change our world... China is working aggressively at AI. If they got a meaningful lead on us in AI, it will be a different world in the future."

Phillips echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the high stakes involved in not falling behind China in technological advancements.

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Insights from Senator Bill Haggerty and Representative Chuck Fleischman

The episode features interviews with Tennessee Senator Bill Haggerty and Representative Chuck Fleischman, who express their support for the administration's nuclear and AI initiatives.

[06:25] Bill Haggerty:
"The last four years seem to be consumed with theology regarding the environment. We're more interested in helping other countries than we were our own."

Haggerty criticizes the previous administration's environmental focus, advocating instead for prioritizing national interests and maintaining technological leadership.

[06:55] Chuck Fleischman:
"The message to China, the message to Russia, the message to our foes and to our friends is America is back in every sector."

Fleischman reinforces the notion that America's reinvigorated focus on energy and technology sends a clear signal of renewed strength and capability on the global stage.

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Conclusion and Future Outlook

As the episode wraps up, hosts acknowledge the collaborative efforts of lawmakers, the energy sector, and tech innovators in spearheading this new era of nuclear energy and AI advancement. The overarching message is one of optimism and determination to reclaim and sustain America's leadership in critical technological fields.

[07:50] John Bickley:
"Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more news you need to know."

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Key Takeaways

• Nuclear Renaissance: The Trump administration is revitalizing nuclear energy to achieve energy independence and support AI advancements.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Serving as a hub for nuclear research and AI integration, leveraging supercomputing power to accelerate innovation.
• AI as an Economic Driver: AI is positioned as a crucial tool for enhancing energy efficiency and maintaining technological leadership.
• Global Competition: Emphasis on outpacing China in AI and nuclear technology to secure America's global standing.
• Legislative Support: Tennessee lawmakers advocate for prioritizing national technological leadership over previous environmental policies.

This episode of Morning Wire offers a comprehensive overview of the intersection between nuclear energy and AI, highlighting the strategic moves by the Trump administration to restore and advance America's position in these critical sectors.

Transcript

[Georgia Howe]

As part of their efforts to increase domestic energy production, the Trump administration is pushing for a nuclear renaissance that will power AI and other technologies.

[John Bickley]

In this episode, we visit a nuclear laboratory with the US energy secretary, lawmakers and the co founder of OpenAI.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Sunday, May 18th, and this is a weekend edition of MORNING Wire.

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[Georgia Howe]

Here to discuss the Trump administration's nuclear renaissance is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips. So, Cabot, you recently joined the energy secretary and others at a historic nuclear laboratory. We're going to get to that visit. But first, big picture. What are the president's plans for nuclear energy?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, for decades now, we've heard lawmakers say that nuclear energy is the future. But for decades, it's been just that, the future. But if the Trump administration has their way, nuclear energy will very much be in the present. The president President's made clear that he views it as crucial for making America energy independent and importantly, powering the AI revolution, which will require far more energy than we currently have access to as a country. And in his first hundred days or so in office, President Trump has already taken significant steps to revamp this industry. To learn more about those efforts, I spent the day with Energy Secretary Chris Wright at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in East Tennessee. Now, most folks are probably familiar with Oak Ridge because of its role in the Manhattan Project back in World War II. But today, it is a massive research facility leading the way on American nuclear development. Have a listen to what Secretary Wright had to say there about the Trump administration's efforts. Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the site of uranium enrichment for the Manhattan Project. And now, over 80 years later, it's the site of a new technological leap, one that could decide America's position in the world. The enemy is China. Their weapon, digital warfare. To counter this threat, President Trump's energy secretary, Chris Wright and OpenAI co founder Greg Brockman have gathered America's brightest scientific minds together to accelerate scientific innovation using Oak Ridge's supercomputer frontier. So with China's threat growing, I've been sent here to ask what's at stake if America loses the digital arms race. Standing outside The Thousand scientist AI Jam, I spoke with OpenAI co founder Greg Brockman about why this gathering is significant.

[Greg Brockman]

All right, tell us about the scientists AI jam. The thousand scientists AI jam.

This is such an exciting day for us and I think for Oak Ridge and the scientists at the national labs because we're bringing together our AI with the work that they are doing. And so again, a thousand scientists are exploring how to use artificial intelligence to accelerate their work. And I've been talking to a number of them, some people who are using it to advance nuclear fusion research to come up with novel designs that would normally take weeks to do, that they can do very fast. I'm talking to people using IT for biology and various other kinds of research.

We heard the Energy Secretary talk about this new Manhattan Project, the Manhattan Project.

Critical to winning World War II, how.

Nuclear energy is going to power the work that you're doing at OpenAI and the work that others are doing in.

The space as well, leading the next generation of computing and artificial intelligence.

Why nuclear? Why is it important for your space?

Well, historically, I think over the past couple of years, the US Energy grid has not grown very much. That is something that President Trump and Secretary Wright, they are actually very enthusiastic about increasing the supply of energy because it is necessary for such energy intensive manufacturing processes. What we do, the thing that you should think of AI as doing is manufacturing energy into intelligence. And one of the things about AI is, is that it not only is something that consumes energy, but it actually can unlock more energy, it can increase efficiencies.

President Trump has been talking about the need to unleash AI. What do you make of his stance on AI and the future of the technology?

Well, I think President Trump is very forward looking on what is necessary in order for America to continue to lead on this technology. It's very clear at this point that AI is something that can benefit everyone. I think it is going to be the most important economic driver of the future. And so in order to make the most of that opportunity, which we have such an amazing opportunity, because America has been the leader in AI, we are the leader in it now. And I think that through public private partnership, for example, the event that we're at today, where the national labs are using this technology to accelerate. And so I think that there is just so much energy and willpower from President Trump, from the secretary, and from others in order to have America lead on this technology.

On China, why is it so important that the US Is leading the way ahead of China in this what folks.

[Cabot Phillips]

Are calling arms race?

[Greg Brockman]

Well, artificial intelligence is going to improve everyone's lives to help people do more of what they want to do. And that is such a fundamentally American thing, right? That being an innovator leading the way. The reason that we that it's so important for us to invest in this is because it's going to help increase our economy and help it be something that we can continue to be a leader on the world stage.

[Cabot Phillips]

And according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the stakes couldn't be higher.

[Greg Brockman]

You've used this phrase, the new Manhattan Project. What does that mean? And what are the stakes in the Manhattan Project?

It was critical that we developed an atomic bomb before Nazi Germany did. Think of the world today, if they had led and had an atomic bomb before we did, the world would be unrecognizable. AI has been around for a long time, but it's hitting critical mass now. In the next few years, AI is going to change our world, not just economically, but in science and also in national defense. China is working aggressively at AI. If they got a meaningful lead on us in AI, it will be a different world in the future. We have to lead and win the AI race just like we did Manhattan Project. This is Manhattan Project 2.

[Cabot Phillips]

I also spoke with Tennessee Senator Bill Haggerty, who talked about his frustrations with the Biden administration's handling of nuclear energy the last four years.

[Greg Brockman]

Do you feel like we did a good enough job of keeping abreast of our competitors? And what will the Trump administration do differently compared to the Biden administration?

[Bill Haggerty]

The last four years seem to be consumed with theology regarding the environment. We're more interested in helping other countries than we were our own. So we're here today with the energy Secretary, with my good friend Congressman Chuck Fleischman, to see what we can do to make certain that America remains at the cutting edge and that we're doing everything we can here in Tennessee to make that so.

[Cabot Phillips]

And finally, I asked Tennessee Representative Chuck Fleishman about what message our new Manhattan Project sends.

[Greg Brockman]

This new Manhattan Project, what sort of message do you think that sends to China?

[Chuck Fleischman]

America's back, which is great. Under the first Trump administration, when I would visit foreign leaders, they would thank me to a person, thank you, America, for leading not only in energy, but in foreign policy. Our friends knew they were our friends. They could count on us. Our foes knew that they could fear us because they would not take actions against American interest or against our allies. So the message to China, the message to Russia, the message to our foes and to our friends is America is back in every sector. I'm gonna worry about the energy sector. We have also great partners like Bill Haggerty, who you just heard from in the United States Senate, working hard every day so that America not only dominates, but that America wins.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, Cabot, thank you so much for going on location and doing those interviews for us.

[Cabot Phillips]

It was not exactly a burden. It was a lot of fun. Very cool stuff.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more news you need to know.

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