“Keep your friends close, and your lithium closer.” -Donald Trump, probably

Not only did Lithium Americas (LAC +100%) wake up on the right side of the bed this morning… it woke up in The White House spooning Donnie Politics. Word broke that the White House is trying to snag an equity stake (reportedly up to 10%) in the Vancouver-based miner, best known for its Thacker Pass project in Nevada… essentially the desert’s version of Fort Knox, but for EV batteries. And just like Intel and MP Materials before it, the “Donnie blessing” sent shares ripping from $3.07 to $6.23 at the speed of light.

For the uninitiated, Thacker Pass is supposed to be the biggest lithium mine in North America when it’s operational in 2027. Lithium Americas runs it with a 62% stake. GM owns 38% and already wired in $625M, planning to siphon off the battery juice once trucks start rolling. The project’s backed by a fat $2.2B loan from the Department of Energy… which, shocker, has strings attached. 

Lithium Americas and GM already flubbed some of the conditions and begged for repayment to be kicked further down the road. The White House’s reply? “Fine… but cut us in.” According to one official, the “very small stake” is just to protect taxpayers. Translation: Donnie doesn’t do charity, especially for a Canadian-incorporated miner.

(Source: CNBC)

Clearly, this is becoming a habit. Trump’s team already scooped a 15% Pentagon stake in MP Materials back in July. That deal alone sent MP stock to the moon, and the Pentagon locked in rare earth magnets at floor prices for a decade. Intel got the treatment too… followed by Nvidia sliding $5B across the table to Chipzilla like it was paying off a bookie. Now lithium’s on deck. Thacker Pass is ground zero for the EV battery arms race, and Trump’s not about to let Beijing corner the market while GM’s Ultium batteries are still struggling to pass kindergarten. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum even teased this exact move back in April. Turns out he wasn’t bluffing.

Yeah, LAC pulled off a “daily doubler,” but the suits aren’t exactly handing foaming at the mouth over the deal. JPMorgan called the rally “overblown,” noting that nobody has the slightest clue what a 10% government stake is worth… or how smooth GM’s offtake contracts look once Uncle Sam shows up at the table asking, “so… who’s picking up the check?” 

What started with Intel, then MP Materials, has now found its way to Lithium Americas. At this pace, don’t be surprised if Trump rescues Peloton next, paints his name on the bikes, and makes Melania the reluctant face of the brand… provided he walks away with a 51% cut and a lifetime supply of yoga mats. Point is, Donnie’s running his own version of Shark Tank with taxpayer money, and every miner is lining up to pitch. If you’re tied to EVs, don’t hit “ignore” when Washington calls. They’ll either wire you a billion… or buy 10% of your company and insist on picking the playlist at board meetings.

At the time of publishing this article, Stocks.News holds positions in Intel as mentioned in the article.