The Trump administration is reportedly in discussions to take a direct stake in Intel Corp., according to Bloomberg. The proposed move would support the chipmaker’s efforts to expand U.S. manufacturing, including its long-delayed Ohio chip factory, which was originally slated to become one of the world’s largest semiconductor production hubs.
The news comes less than a week after President Trump publicly called for Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign over perceived conflicts of interest, following a letter from Republican Senator Tom Cotton questioning Tan’s alleged ties to China. Tan met with administration officials on August 11 to address concerns and explore ways Intel could collaborate with the government, sparking talks of a potential U.S. investment.
Amidst heightening tensions with China, U.S. President Donald Trump insisted last week that Intel’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, must step down, accusing Tan of harboring conflicts of interest.
“The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Trump did not share any evidence or details of why Tan may have conflicts of interest.
“Intel, the Board of Directors, and Lip-Bu Tan are deeply committed to advancing U.S. national and economic security interests and are making significant investments aligned with the President’s America First agenda,” Intel said in a statement at the time. “Intel has been manufacturing in America for 56 years. We are continuing to invest billions of dollars in domestic semiconductor R&D and manufacturing, including our new fab in Arizona that will run the most advanced manufacturing process technology in the country, and are the only company investing in leading logic process node development in the U.S. We look forward to our continued engagement with the Administration.”
Intel declined to comment on the reports. A company spokesperson said, “Intel is deeply committed to supporting President Trump’s efforts to strengthen U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership. We look forward to continuing our work with the Trump Administration to advance these shared priorities, but we are not going to comment on rumors or speculation.”
According to Bloomberg sources, the size of any potential government stake remains unclear. The discussions reflect the White House’s continued interest in supporting domestic semiconductor production, even if it means blurring traditional lines between state and private industry.
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