Intel Stock Gets A Trump Bump As POTUS' Cryptic Meme Sends Retail Traders Spinning After $5B Nvidia Deal

The president posted an AI-generated image showing Intel having reached $30, fueling chatter of a short squeeze as retail traders lit up with bullish bets.

Retail traders are bracing for more fireworks in Intel stock after a major deal with Nvidia on Thursday and a cryptic midnight post from President Donald Trump on Truth Social. The AI-generated image showed him at the Oval Office desk surrounded by monitors with trading charts, with texts on the image reading “Bought Intel at $20” and “Intel now at $30.”

Trump did not post a caption with the picture, leaving investors guessing whether it is about an undisclosed future plan or Trump seemingly taking credit for helping Intel and its stock. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said the U.S. government was not involved but is supportive of the partnership.

Intel shares rose 22.8% to their highest point in over a year on Thursday, following a $5 billion investment deal with Nvidia and their announcement to jointly develop PC and data center chips. Nvidia will take about 4% stake in the struggling chipmaker.

On Stocktwits, the retail sentiment for INTC shifted to 'extremely bullish' from 'bearish' the previous day, with the ticker topping the trending list on the platform early Friday.

Intel shares fell slightly in the after-hours session on Thursday, and the stock's trading volume was about four times higher than its average.  

A Stocktwits user reshared Trump's Intel image, with a comment, "President trump knows how to turn things around."

Some users forecast a short squeeze in Friday's sessions, although one warned, "Don't fight Trump's Executive Branch."

Trump has been more vocal than his predecessors in weighing in on corporate decisions. He urged Walmart to "eat the tariffs" after it warned of higher prices and pressed Apple and automakers to expand manufacturing in the U.S.

Intel, once the flagship of the U.S. chip industry, has lagged its peers due to slow development and headwinds in its foundry business. It appointed a new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, in March.

He quickly came under fire from U.S. President Donald Trump, who called for his resignation due to concerns about his connections with China. This led to a swiftly arranged meeting in Washington that ended with Intel's unusual arrangement to give the U.S. government a 10% stake in the company. The stake is based on billions of dollars of grants, both given and committed, under a U.S. semiconductor promotion scheme.

After Thursday's surge, Intel shares are now up over 52% year-to-date.

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