The new approach has sparked a mixture of support, criticism and confusion across both parties, with libertarian conservatives pointing out the irony of Trump’s attacks on Democrats as communists and some elected Democrats pledging to investigate equity stake arrangements involving ties to Trump family or allies if they win back power in the midterms. Critics dispute the administration’s authority to take equity stakes in private companies at all.
But many Democrats, including some former Biden administration officials working outside the government, also see an opening, now that Trump has managed to cross what was long viewed as a political red line: putting the government in business with specific companies, influencing their governance and literally letting taxpayers share in the upside — or the downside…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/03/trump-equity-stakes-companies-democrats-01062675
