The Trump administration is in discussions with Intel Corp. over a potential government stake in the chipmaker, Bloomberg reported, highlighting the White House’s willingness to blur the lines between state and industry.

A deal could support Intel’s planned factory hub in Ohio, which was initially envisioned as the world’s largest chipmaking facility but has faced repeated delays. The size of a possible government stake has not been disclosed.

The talks follow a week after President Donald Trump called for the removal of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, citing concerns over his previous ties to China. According to Bloomberg sources, the discussions emerged from a recent meeting between Trump and Tan. While the structure of a potential deal is still being finalized, one source said the US government could fund the stake, though another cautioned that plans remain fluid and could end without an agreement.

Intel shares rose as much as 8.9% on Thursday, closing 7.4% higher at $23.86 in New York, giving the company a market value of about $104.4 billion. Post-market trading saw gains of up to 4% further.

White House spokesman Kush Desai told Bloomberg that discussions about hypothetical deals should be regarded as speculation unless officially announced by the administration. Intel declined to comment directly, stating in a company release that it remains deeply committed to supporting President Trump’s efforts to strengthen US technology and manufacturing leadership and will not address rumors or speculation.