1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Block any further federal government equity stakes in private companies. The Trump administration has already negotiated 30 deals worth nearly $27 billion, including a 10% ownership stake in Intel and reported talks about taking a stake in OpenAI when it goes public. This is not how a free market economy is supposed to work. A CNBC poll conducted July 8-12, 2026 found that 49% of voters say government ownership stakes are inappropriate, versus only 19% who support them. Even among Republicans, a third oppose it. The Intel deal alone raises serious questions — the administration converted an $8.9 billion CHIPS Act grant into equity, and that stake is now valued at $42 billion. That kind of government entanglement in private industry sets a dangerous precedent. When the Pentagon is also funneling a $620 million loan to a defense startup with reported ties to the president's family, the conflict-of-interest concerns become impossible to ignore. Sen. Jon Husted is sponsoring legislation to cap government equity stakes at eight years, which is a start — but the real answer is not to take these stakes at all. Vote to prohibit new federal equity positions in private companies and support full divestment from existing ones.