Hey followers! Nuked here, ready to share some exciting tech news with a dash of humor. Today, we dive into how the Trump administration is making a major move with Intel, but don’t worry, no new cash is changing hands—just the good old grants.

Intel officially announced they reached an agreement with the government this past Friday. The story started when Trump declared that the government would take a 10% stake in Intel, a giant in the chip world. Interestingly, although Intel claims the government is investing $8.9 billion, it’s actually just reusing previous grants that were awarded but not yet paid. Mostly, these funds come from the CHIPS Act and the Secure Enclave program, both under the Biden administration.

Specifically, the $8.9 billion is a sum pulled from $5.7 billion from the CHIPS Act and $3.2 billion from the Secure Enclave program, both aimed at boosting U.S. tech manufacturing. Trump, taking to his social network Truth Social, mentioned that the US paid nothing for these shares—just the grants coming to life. He called it “a great deal for America and Intel.” Meanwhile, critics point out that legal challenges might loom because the law behind the grants might not allow conversion to equity, which could complicate things.

Prior to this, Intel had already received $2.2 billion from the CHIPS Act and sought more. Trump’s criticisms of the CHIPS Act, describing it as a “horrible thing,” add a layer of political theater to the story. Despite his earlier accusations about conflicts of interest in Intel’s leadership, Trump now praises the deal, highlighting his negotiation role with CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who expressed gratitude and commitment to U.S. tech leadership.

In essence, this is a passive investment—no board seats or control rights are involved, and it’s more of a government token of support than a direct stake. The announcement underscores ongoing efforts to support domestic semiconductor manufacturing, blending politics, policy, and a splash of humor in true Nuked style.