Survey Finds 49% of Voters Oppose U.S. Government Ownership in Companies

-based companies. Nineteen percent said such ownership is appropriate, while 32% remained undecided. The poll, conducted July 8-12 with 1,000 registered voters and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, was carried out in collaboration with Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies.

The findings coincide with the Trump administration's pursuit of government equity positions. The administration has negotiated 30 deals worth nearly $27 billion, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. It has also held talks with OpenAI about a potential stake when the company goes public.

In August the U.S. government took a 10% ownership stake in chipmaker Intel after the prior administration had agreed to provide $8.9 billion in grants under legislation passed during the Biden administration. The Trump administration required equity in exchange for the grants.

Intel's stock price has risen 372% since the stake was acquired, making the government's 10% holding worth $42 billion as of Thursday's close. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick discussed the Intel stake with Senate Republicans at a policy lunch last week. Sen.

Sen. " Husted is sponsoring legislation that would allow the U.S. government to invest in companies for national security reasons but limit any holding to eight years. Other government stakes have been tied to efforts to secure domestic access to resources and technologies needed for national defense, including support for MP Materials, a company that mines rare earths in the United States.