A US government plan to take a stake in Intel Corp. would give the ailing chipmaker a powerful backer, even if a bigger challenge still lies ahead: finding enough paying customers.

The White House confirmed on Tuesday that the Trump administration is working on a deal that could see the US government taking a 10% stake in chip giant Intel. "The president wants to put America's needs first, both from a national security and economic perspective," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Shares in the chip maker rose following news of SoftBank’s planned investment and a possible stake for the U.S. government.

After months of turbulence, Intel Corp. bulls are finally being rewarded for their patience. But the stock’s sudden rebound comes with a worrying side effect: a valuation so high its most recent precedent is from the dot-com era more than two decades ago.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said any U.S. investment in Intel would be aimed at helping the troubled chipmaker stabilize, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the government wanted equity stakes in exchange for its support of semiconductor manufacturers.

The stock closed nearly 7% higher Tuesday after Japan’s SoftBank (JP:9984) agreed to invest $2 billion in

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the White House wouldn't try to flex its power with a stake in Intel.

Lutnick just laughed it off, indignantly pointing out that “we were just giving away the money” under the previous terms of the CHIPS Act. But the legality of any equity stake would likely be challenged by both Intel shareholders and competitors in the industry, according to the Times.