President Donald Trump is once again at the center of a fiery battle between big business, federal courts, and Native American tribes this time over one of the largest copper mines in the world.
On Tuesday, Trump lashed out at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after it halted a land transfer that would allow Rio Tinto and BHP, two global mining giants, to push forward with the Resolution Copper project in Arizona. The court ruled in favor of the San Carlos Apache tribe, which has been fighting the mine for years, saying the land in question is sacred and environmentally fragile.
Calling the court “radical left” in a Truth Social post, Trump accused opponents of being “Anti-American” and even suggested they were “representing other copper competitive countries.” He added: “Our Country, quite simply, needs Copper AND NOW!”
The ruling marks only the second legal victory for the Apache and their allies in a battle that has dragged on for more than five years. At the heart of the dispute is Oak Flat, a site where Apache people hold religious ceremonies. If built, the mine would leave a massive crater, effectively destroying land they consider holy.
Tribal leaders argue the project would not just desecrate sacred ground but also hand control of critical U.S. resources to foreign interests. “We are working to save the U.S. from making a disastrous decision that would give up American resources to foreign powers,” said Terry Rambler, chairman of the San Carlos Apache. He pointed out that Rio Tinto is partly owned by a Chinese company raising fears the copper could ultimately be shipped overseas.
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Mining executives, however, argue the opposite. Rio insists all copper would stay in the U.S. to strengthen domestic supply chains, especially as copper demand surges for electronics, green energy, and national security. At the White House, Trump met with Rio and BHP leaders, thanking them for their “commitment to America.”
This is not the first time the Resolution Copper project has become a political flashpoint. It was approved in 2014 after being slipped into a must-pass military spending bill. Trump gave it the green light in his first term, only for President Biden to reverse it. Now, with legal battles dragging into October, its fate remains uncertain.
For the San Carlos Apache, however, the fight is about more than mining or money. It is about faith, identity, and survival. “This land is where our people pray,” Rambler said. “To lose it would be to lose part of who we are.”
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