On August 22, a U.S. government official disclosed that the Trump administration was contemplating acquiring equity stakes in companies receiving funding from the chip bill, clarifying that established semiconductor giants that had already bolstered their investments in the United States were not currently under consideration. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo affirmed that the government was in talks with Intel to secure a 10% stake and might entertain the idea of equity participation in other enterprises. This revelation sparked widespread concern within the industry, with executives fearing that the government might extend its equity acquisition strategy to prominent chip manufacturers like TSMC, Micron, and Samsung. According to reports, TSMC executives have preliminarily discussed the possibility of returning subsidies should the U.S. government impose an equity participation requirement, signaling a potential opposition to such government initiatives.