Half of US Voters Reject Government Taking Stakes in American Companies

US voters remain deeply skeptical of the federal government owning stakes in American companies, a new poll found.

Their doubt comes as the government has made 30 deals worth $26.7 billion since 2025, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

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US Voters Sour on Government Ownership Stakes in Companies 

The CNBC survey polled 1,000 registered voters from July 8 to 12, with a 3.1-point margin of error. Only 19% found government stakes appropriate, while 49% did not. In addition, 32% stayed undecided.

Partisan gaps were wide. Some 66% of Democrats called the stakes inappropriate, against 34% of Republicans.

Even Trump’s base wavered. MAGA Republicans split evenly, with 31% in favor and 31% opposed. Another 38% held no view.

Opposition has softened since October 2025, when 56% of voters called government ownership inappropriate, against just 13% who approved. Disapproval has since fallen seven points as approval climbed, and a third of voters stayed on the fence.

CNBC noted that the Trump administration has treated some stakes as opportunistic bets and others as part of a broader economic strategy.

The largest arrived in August 2025. The government took a 10% stake in chipmaker Intel by giving $8.9 billion in grants approved under the Biden administration. That position has since climbed 372%. It was worth $42 billion at Thursday’s close.

Meanwhile, OpenAI has also reportedly pitched a 5% government stake, a position worth about $42.6 billion at its $852 billion valuation.

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