President Trump is weighing taking a 10% stake in computer chip maker Intel. If approved, it would mark one of the largest U.S. government interventions in a private company since the auto bailout of 2008.

The back-to-back news items signal a public and private sector commitment to domestic semiconductor production and underscore Intel's importance.

The Commerce Department oversees the $52.7 billion CHIPS Act, formally known as the CHIPS and Science Act. The act, signed into law by then-President Joe Biden in 2022, has provided funding so far for research while also seeking to lure chip production away from Asia and boost American domestic semiconductor production.

Liberal U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday threw his support behind President Donald Trump's plan to convert U.S. grants to chipmakers, including $10.9 billion for Intel, into government stakes in the companies.

The US government is in discussions to potentially take a partial ownership stake in Intel, according to an Aug. 18 report by Bloomberg. The deal could help accelerate the construction of Intel’s long-delayed semiconductor manufacturing plant in Ohio.

Owning the Means of Production The Trump administration’s push for a 10% equity stake in Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), leveraging $10.9 billion in CHIPS Act grants — $7.9 billion for domestic investments and $3 billion for defense microelectronics — has ignited debate.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is looking into the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that receive CHIPS Act funding to build factories in the country, two sources said.

Lutnick just laughed it off, indignantly pointing out that “we were just giving away the money” under the previous terms of the CHIPS Act. But the legality of any equity stake would likely be challenged by both Intel shareholders and competitors in the industry, according to the Times.

Micron, TSMC, and more have also been awarded billions in subisidies The US government is considering taking a stake in Intel and other semiconductor companies that benefit from CHIPS Act funding, according to officials from the Trump administration.