logo
episode-header-image
Aug 27
8m 52s

Should the government be in the business...

NPR
About this episode

What happens when the federal government owns part of a company?

That’s one of MANY questions about federal policy right now, as the Trump Administration aggressively pushes for stakes — and oversight — of major private companies.


This week, the White House announced it was taking a ten percent stake in the struggling technology giant Intel.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the administration is considering similar moves with other companies tied to the defense industry, too. 

Trump looks ready to turn the U.S. into a corporate stockholder. Should the government be in the business of … business?

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Henry Larson. It was edited by John Ketchum. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Up next
Yesterday
The fighting in Gaza has stopped. But dire conditions persist.
“A New and Beautiful day is rising.” That’s what President Trump told a gathering of world leaders this week.He was speaking of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas…meant to pave the way to a permanent end to the war that has left much of the Gaza strip in rubble. Now, Trump sa ... Show More
11m 32s
Oct 14
The targets of Trump's DOJ are already paying a price
At President Trump’s public urging, the Justice Department has brought criminal charges against some of his perceived political enemies. NPR Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson explains that for those targeted, a prosecution can mean steep financial and emotional costs, even if ... Show More
7m 19s
Oct 13
Justice Anthony Kennedy's book is not boring
As a justice on the Supreme Court, Anthony Kennedy wrote some big opinions.He was appointed by President Reagan, and most often voted with conservatives.But his vote was often pivotal in controversial cases about hot-button issues like same-sex marriage and abortion, and in sever ... Show More
9m 32s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 14
Trump Administration Said to Discuss Taking Stake in Intel
Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.The Trump administration is in talks with Intel Corp. to have the US government potentially take a stake in the beleaguered chipmaker, helping support the company’s effort to expand domestic manufacturing, accor ... Show More
42m 15s
Apr 2025
The problem with running the government like a business
The idea that the government should be run more like a business isn’t new. But with two businessmen, Donald Trump and Elon Musk, now taking a proverbial chainsaw to the federal bureaucracy all in the name “efficiency,” this theory is being put to the test. While it’s an appealing ... Show More
35m 33s
Jun 2025
The Progressive Regulator Winning Over the Populist Right
Is the key to freedom a life without Amazon? This week, Ross talks to Lina Khan, former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission about how unchecked corporate power has limited choice in our day-to-day lives, and how her fight against Big Tech unites left and right.02:41 - What’s wr ... Show More
1 h
May 2025
The FTC commissioner fired by Trump
In March, Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission, were fired from their jobs by the Trump administration. They say this was done illegally and are challenging their dismissals. Michela talks with Bedoya about what happene ... Show More
21m 12s
Mar 2025
New Tariffs Take Effect on Canada & Mexico | Senators James Lanford and Elizabeth Warren Discuss Trump's Agenda | Ione Skye Reflects on Fame, Love & Loss
From immigration to DOGE and cutting costs, Americans are divided on how President Trump and his administration are doing so far as the president prepares to address Congress about plans for his second term on Tuesday.The Trump administration has suspended billions of dollars in ... Show More
49m 25s
Feb 2025
Trump Plans to Impose 25% Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum Imports
Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg News Metals & Mining Reporter Joe Deaux discusses President Trump's plans to impose 25% tariffs on all US imports of steel and aluminum, applying to shipments from all countries, including major suppl ... Show More
43m 49s
Sep 29
Washington tangos with another government shutdown
The Trump administration’s financial regulator is preparing to change five decades of corporate reporting practice, and the US government is once again on the brink of a shutdown. Plus, Denmark is closing its airspace to drones after a series of incursions, and drive-throughs are ... Show More
12m 17s
Sep 5
Trump Administration Interpretation Of Civil Rights Act Reshapes Public Schools
President Trump pledged to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, but his administration is also using the department’s Office for Civil Rights to pressure local school districts to adhere to Trump’s political views. We discuss these tactics and how they fit into a broader c ... Show More
25m 8s
Apr 2025
Trump Lashes Out at Powell. But Can the President Fire the Fed Chair?
P.M. Edition for April 17. In a post on social media and in comments from the Oval Office, President Trump expressed his displeasure with Fed Chair Jerome Powell. But can Trump actually fire him? WSJ chief economics commentator Greg Ip discusses an upcoming Supreme Court decision ... Show More
13m 2s
Feb 2025
Federal Workers Hesitate to Take Buyout
A.M. Edition for Feb. 6. Uncertainty surrounding a buyout deal for U.S. federal workers is deterring many from accepting it, putting the Trump administration at risk of missing a target to trim the government via voluntary measures. Plus, the WSJ’s Lauren Thomas reports that Hone ... Show More
15m 5s