Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing government shutdown, takeaways from President Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi, the resumption of nuclear testing, and more. ...

Geopolitical & Economic Landscape - The discussion involves the potential restart of nuclear testing by the US, following Russia's successful testing of a nuclear-capable super torpedo, highlighting geopolitical tensions [1] - A temporary tariff truce or deal with China is mentioned alongside the discussion of nuclear weapons testing, creating a complex situation [3] - Showing strength is important in international relations, particularly with adversaries, and this can be done respectfully [7] - The US needs to demonstrate its strength and innovation to counter the perception of Western decline [9] AI & Industrial Rebuilding - A partnership is announced to fund the Innovators Rebuilding American Industry, focusing on re-industrializing the US through advanced manufacturing in various sectors like bio and aerospace [2][10][11] - Re-industrialization will require trillions of dollars of investment [11] - The discussion touches on the capital-intensive nature of rebuilding American industry, contrasting it with the asset-light model of Silicon Valley [13] - AI is driving significant changes, but there are concerns about a potential bubble and whether the economics justify the massive investments in data centers [16][17] - AI is already creating profitable applications and services, even with current LLMs, suggesting it's not entirely a bubble [19] Investment & Financial Concerns - There are concerns about over-investment in certain areas of AI, potentially echoing the telecom bubble [24] - OpenAI is speculated to go public at a trillion-dollar valuation, indicating high retail demand for AI and defense investments [22] - Palantir is positioned as a key player in deploying AI and productivity solutions for major companies [26]