Trump eyes AI riches with government stakes

Link copied by Miranda Nazzaro and Julia Shapero - 06/24/26 5:54 PM ET Link copied {beacon} President Trump is considering a plan that would give the U.S. government direct stakes in leading AI companies, putting him in unusual alignment with some of his fiercest critics. The president confirmed earlier this month he is considering concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner. But versions of this idea have also found support among the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Anthropic and OpenAI, bringing together a surprising contingent as politicians and the AI industry alike grapple with the vast wealth the technology is expected to create. Reports emerged in early June that the Trump administration was in preliminary talks with AI companies about taking equity stakes. When asked about this, Trump said he was set to meet with tech executives in the near future to discuss the idea. We re talking about giving back something to the public, he later added. And if we do that, the public will become very rich, the people in our country, because that s the kind of money we re talking about. And I think they ll do that, and I think it ll make it very popular. The concept isn t entirely novel for the president, who has taken stakes in more than 20 companies in his second term. Trump himself pointed to the nearly 10 percent stake the government took in Intel last August when discussing the possibility of equity in AI firms. With Trump … it s about deals, Tad DeHaven, a policy analyst on general economic issues for the Cato Institute, told The Hill. This is government by dealmaking, government by transaction. At the end of the day, that s how the president views the world, he added. He is transactional, he is deal-based. And the purpose is here again, for whatever the White House says about taxpayer upside and supply strengthening supply chains, it s really about the president exercising leverage, power and control. Check out the full report at TheHill.com. Welcome to The Hill s Technology newsletter, we re Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. A new premium access digital subscription — into the rooms, conversations, and analysis that shape Washington s most important moments. Launching July 2026. Join the waitlist today. How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Prediction market boom roils midterm elections: It s the wild west The significant boom of prediction markets is pushing U.S. elections into uncharted territory, prompting concern and scrutiny about the risks and regulation of betting on political outcomes. Kalshi, Polymarket and other platforms process trading volumes in the tens of billions of dollars each quarter as users bet on world events, from sports and pop culture to which party will win the House this fall and whom … YouTube settles case brought by minor alleging harm Google s YouTube reached a settlement with a minor who sued multiple social media platforms for allegedly impacting his mental health, lawyers announced Tuesday. The settlement, the terms of which are confidential, comes nearly a month away from the trial s July 27 state date in Los Angeles. The case was brought by a minor known as R.K.C. against YouTube, Meta, Snap, and TikTok. Attorneys for R.K.C. … Pallone, top Energy Democrat, backs AI data center moratorium The top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee is backing a moratorium on AI data centers — a show of support from a mainstream, influential Democrat for a policy that has thus far been endorsed at the national level mainly by anti-establishment figures. During a committee markup on Wednesday, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said, I am in favor of a national AI data center moratorium until we can find a way to ensure … Musk on fatal Tesla crash in Texas: This makes no sense Tesla CEO Elon Musk is pushing back on allegations the company s full self-driving software was involved in a recent crash that killed a Texas woman. Martha Avila, 76, died after a Tesla drove through the front of her home in Katy, Texas, last Friday. Both police and the driver have indicated that Tesla s automated driving assistance system was in use at the time of the accident, according to a lawsuit filed by Avila s daughter. … News we ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: New consumer advocacy group launches to highlight crypto risks A new cryptocurrency-focused consumer advocacy group launched Tuesday, aiming to highlight the risks associated with the industry and educate Americans about them. The non-profit known as Crypto Watchdog is hoping to bring sunlight to what has so far been a not very transparent industry, Chapin Fay, executive director of Crypto Watchdog, told The Hill. We re going to focus on areas of the crypto story tha

Trump eyes AI riches with government stakes

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