Trump Announces Pentagon to Invest $1.5 Billion in North Carolina Semiconductor Chip Production

President Trump announced at a midterm campaign rally in North Carolina that the Pentagon will invest $1.5 billion to produce cutting-edge semiconductor chips in the state. Trump framed the investment as part of a broader push to reshore semiconductor manufacturing to the United States, saying companies are returning "because of the tariffs and because of us."

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick joined Trump onstage and announced a separate deal involving Sibelco, a company that processes quartz, which he described as "the foundation of semiconductors," building a manufacturing plant in North Carolina. Lutnick offered few additional details on the Sibelco agreement. Trump presented both announcements as evidence of his administration's progress on domestic chip production, though he conditioned future economic promises on voters keeping Republicans in control of Congress in next month's midterm elections.