STILLWATER, Okla. — April 12, 2026 (The Oklahoma Post)
Barbara Humpton, CEO of USA Rare Earth (Nasdaq: USAR), sat down with Reuters this week to address growing congressional concerns about the company’s $1.58 billion deal with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The interview produced several statements worth examining at some length.
When asked whether shareholders should be concerned by deal terms that allow the federal government to retain its full equity stake in USAR even if it subsequently withdraws its entire investment, Humpton said: “Not at all.”
When asked about critics of the Round Top mine’s low ore grade and uncertain economics, Humpton quoted Taylor Swift: “Haters gonna hate.” We love Taylor Swift. America loves Taylor Swift. She writes songs, breaks records, and critically does not invoice the public for her costume changes. Which is why it is a bold creative decision for a corporate CEO to drape herself in Swiftian charm while quietly reaching into the taxpayers’ wallet like it’s a merch table at the Eras Tour. What irks me is that USAR gives you a subsidy request with a smile. And there is something almost impressive artistically, even about trying to cosplay kindness while billing the audience for the stage. Taylor is a powerful and highly intelligent woman. She is an artist as well. Taylor gives you a show. Taylor Swift has empowered a generation of young women to reclaim their narratives and treat their creative output as a billion-dollar empire, proving that being “the talent” and being the CEO are not mutually exclusive roles. How dare she borrow Taylor’s sparkle just to pick our pockets in better lighting. This CEO is building weapons for war…and that was why the U.S. supposedly gave her our tax dollars.
The Oklahoma Post is one of those haters, apparently. We have been covering this company since 2025. We have a pending Open Records Act request with the City of Stillwater. We have filed written questions to USAR’s media relations firm on multiple occasions and received no response. We have reported that the production area at 100 West Airport Road may lack a Certificate of Occupancy. We have reported that the company’s own SEC filing, filed four days after its triumphant commissioning announcement, states the facility has not commenced producing or selling magnets. We will accept the Taylor Swift designation and continue.
What Humpton Said and What She Did Not Say
The Reuters interview, published April 10, 2026, marks Humpton’s first public comments on the congressional conflict of interest concerns raised by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., who sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in March flagging that the deal requires USAR to raise private capital through Cantor Fitzgerald, a firm now controlled by Lutnick’s sons.
Humpton defended the Cantor Fitzgerald relationship by noting the firm helped USAR go public in March 2025. “Our best move was to go with the team who knew us,” she said.
She referred all questions about Lofgren’s letter to the Commerce Department. The Commerce Department did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The Commerce Department has not responded to any public accountability inquiry on this matter from any outlet this publication is aware of.
On the mine economics, Humpton argued that ore grade is not the determining factor and that recoverable heavy rare earth components are what matters. She specifically cited yttrium, used in specialty alloys and subject to Chinese export restrictions, as the number-one demand signal from the semiconductor field. “We weren’t even tuned in to the critical need for yttrium until we did our work with the Department of Commerce,” she told Reuters. The preliminary feasibility study for the mine will not be completed until the end of 2026, meaning the economic case for the project the government is investing $1.6 billion in will not be formally documented until after the deal closes this month.
The National Security Jobs Problem
USAR has described its Stillwater magnet manufacturing operation as essential to national security. Its products are cited as critical components in missile guidance systems, radar and fighter jet applications. The Trump administration has framed its $1.6 billion investment in those terms. The company’s press materials describe a facility producing materials essential to defense and national security.
If that is true, a reasonable person might ask why production operator positions at this facility are listed on Indeed, Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter with 30-minute interview slots, no security clearance requirements listed and standard benefits packages. Defense-sensitive manufacturing facilities typically require background investigations, security clearances and vetting processes that do not fit a 30-minute walk-in interview at Meridian Technology Center. The February 24-25 hiring event at Meridian and another March announcement through a local Facebook Group invited candidates to show up, apply online first and expect to stay up to an hour for additional interviews.
It is a question about the framing. Either these are national security jobs requiring appropriate vetting, or they are manufacturing jobs at a long-abandoned Stillwater Oklahoma facility. The company and the administration appear to be describing them as both simultaneously, which is convenient when justifying $1.6 billion in federal money and less convenient when explaining the hiring methodology.
Still Hiring, Still Not Producing
As of this week, approximately 20 positions remain open at the Stillwater facility across Indeed, Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter, including production operators, maintenance technicians, a plant controller, a gate security officer and lab co-op internships paying $19 to $27 per hour. The company claims more than 100 employees are currently working at the facility. Its SEC filing states the facility has not commenced producing or selling magnets. The company expects to begin filling customer orders in the second quarter of 2026, which began April 1.
The $1.6 billion Commerce Department deal is expected to close by the end of April 2026. The preliminary feasibility study for the mine that the deal is supposed to help develop will not be finished until the end of the year. The Commerce Secretary overseeing the deal has not addressed conflict of interest allegations publicly. The city of Stillwater has not responded to The Oklahoma Post’s Open Records Act request.
“Not at all,” said the CEO, when asked if shareholders should be concerned.
Haters gonna hate.
Writing By: Dr. King Shultz | Editing by Robbie Robertson
Editor’s Note:
Sources
Reuters, USA Rare Earth CEO defends Trump administration investment as congressional questions swirl, April 10, 2026 — https://www.reuters.com
Yahoo Finance, USA Rare Earth CEO defends Trump administration investment, April 10, 2026 — https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/usa-rare-earth-ceo-defends-181338378.html
Indeed, USA Rare Earth LLC jobs Stillwater OK — https://www.indeed.com/cmp/USA-Rare-Earth-LLC/jobs/l-Stillwater,-OK
Glassdoor, USA Rare Earth LLC jobs Stillwater OK — https://www.glassdoor.com/Job/stillwater-usa-rare-earth-llc-jobs-SRCH_IL.0,10_IC1136989_KO11,29.htm
Rep. Zoe Lofgren press release, Ranking Member Lofgren Raises Alarm Over Terms of Commerce Department Equity Stake in USA Rare Earth, March 20, 2026 — https://lofgren.house.gov
The Oklahoma Post, USA Rare Earth’s Commissioning Announcement May Have a Fire Code Problem, March 28, 2026 — https://theokpost.com
The Oklahoma Post, USA Rare Earth Claims 100 Jobs at Stillwater Facility, March 26, 2026 — https://theokpost.com
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