WSJ Tech News Briefing · Tuesday, July 14, 2026
The U.S. government, through the Trump administration, has become Intel's largest shareholder, raising concerns about the role of government intervention in the tech industry. Reporter Robbie Whelan explains that this involvement goes beyond financial support, with the administration actively influencing potential customers to partner with Intel.
“nearly a year ago, the U.S. government became Intel's largest shareholder. Just how involved has the Trump administration been in charting the chipmaker's future?”
“The Trump administration has taken a hands-on approach to the company, twisting the arms of major potential customers and partners, including Apple and Nvidia and SpaceX, all of which have signed deals with Intel since the government's stake was announced.”
“At a really basic level, there's a capital allocation question, which is to say, do you want to put taxpayer money into the private sector, or do you want to invest it in services and programs that benefit taxpayers?”