“If microchip companies make a profit from the generous grants they receive from the federal government, the taxpayers of America have a right to a reasonable return on that investment,” Sanders told Fortune.
The idea was Sanders’ in the first place, he said.
Now, three years later, Trump is reviving the idea, and Sanders is applauding.
“I am glad the Trump administration is in agreement with the amendment I offered three years ago,” Sanders said. “Taxpayers should not be providing billions of dollars in corporate welfare to large, profitable corporations like Intel without getting anything in return.”
It’s an economic strategy that looks less like Reaganism, and more of a mashup between populism and state-capitalism. In that case, Trump and Sanders are two apt representatives for the merging camps.
The White House did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment by press time.
