Previous to Trump’s statement, four former directors of Intel published a commentary exclusive to Fortune, saying the company was likely to retreat as America’s chips champion. After the president’s statement, they advocated for a separation of Intel’s essential foundry business that’s so core to national security.

The Trump administration is in talks with Intel Corp. to have the US government take a stake in the beleaguered chipmaker, according to people familiar with the plan, in the latest sign of the White House's willingness to blur the lines between state and industry.

Shares of Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) are soaring this week, up 24.1% as of 3:13 p.m. ET. The spike comes as the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) was up 1%, and the Nasdaq-100 was up 0.5%.

A potential deal with the Trump administration is shaping up to be a saving grace for Intel (INTC), which saw its shares climb Friday while other semiconductor stocks slid. President Trump told a group of reporters aboard Air Force One Friday morning that he could put tariffs on imported chips as soon as next week.