President Trump is floating a novel idea: let ordinary Americans own a piece of the trillion-dollar AI revolution. Speaking aboard Air Force One, the president suggested the federal government could acquire a modest stake in leading artificial intelligence companies, turning citizens into shareholders in what he called "a beautiful thing."
"There's something very interesting about it, where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public," Trump told reporters. The notion would essentially invite average Americans to benefit from the explosive growth expected in the sector, particularly as companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and others move toward public offerings.
The concept isn't new in Washington circles. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has championed the idea internally within the Trump administration for months, packaging it as part of a broader "AI New Deal." This week, Senator Bernie Sanders revived the conversation with a more aggressive proposal: a one-time 50% tax on major AI companies, collected in stock rather than cash, to fund a public wealth vehicle.
Trump's framing differs markedly from Sanders' approach, but both share the underlying philosophy. Trump emphasized the sheer scale of potential wealth creation. "There's so much money, and it's so big, that pieces could be given to the American public," he said, positioning it as a way to democratize the gains from artificial intelligence development.
Tech industry proponents of public ownership have suggested far more modest figures than Sanders' half-stake, with proposals floating 1% to 5% ownership stakes. Even those smaller percentages could deliver substantial sums if AI companies deliver on their valuations.
There's a strategic calculation beneath the surface. AI remains deeply unpopular with much of the American public, plagued by concerns over job displacement, privacy, and corporate power. Industry leaders, and apparently now Trump, believe that widespread ownership would shift public perception. If working Americans stood to profit from AI's success, skepticism might soften considerably.
Trump also seized on a reporter's question about the ideological tension of embracing a Sanders proposal. The president pivoted to economic populism rather than party politics. "As far as economics is concerned, we have certain things that aren't that far apart," Trump said, noting that Americans are often surprised by such convergence.
The president also framed the proposal through a national competitiveness lens, emphasizing that U.S. dominance in AI matters globally. "We're leading China. We're leading everybody in the world with AI, and we want to keep it that way," Trump said, suggesting that boosting American investment and interest in the sector serves broader strategic interests.
Author James Rodriguez: "Whether this becomes policy or remains a talking point depends on how badly Trump wants to rehabilitate AI's image before the next election cycle."
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