President Donald Trump told a rally in Greenville, North Carolina on Tuesday that the Department of War will invest $1.5 billion to produce semiconductor chips in the state, without providing details on how the investment would be made, Reuters and The Hill reported. At the same rally, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced that Sibelco, an industrial minerals mining and processing company, will build a quartz manufacturing plant in North Carolina to support semiconductor production, an investment he put at hundreds of millions of dollars, also without details. Neither announcement named a site within the state, a construction timetable, a capacity figure or a jobs total.
Trump announces $1.5 billion Pentagon chip investment in North Carolina
President Donald Trump announced at a rally in Greenville, North Carolina on Tuesday that the Pentagon will invest $1.5 billion to produce semiconductor chips in the state, without giving details on how the money would be spent.
Why it matters: If the money is committed as announced, it adds a defence funded chip investment to North Carolina's semiconductor buildout, but with no recipient, schedule or capacity named, the claim cannot yet be tied to a specific plant or programme.
Data as of Rally statements of Tuesday, October 20, 2026, as reported by The Hill and by Reuters, both read in full. No Pentagon or Department of War release setting out the $1.5 billion investment had been published or was in the feed queue at the time of writing, so the figure rests on the president's rally statement. Developing item.
Sources
- Trump says Pentagon will invest $1.5 billion into North Carolina chip production - The Hill - 2026-10-20
- Lutnick announces investment to boost semiconductor production in North Carolina - Reuters, via KRRO - 2026-10-20
- Trump says Pentagon to invest $1.5 billion in North Carolina chip production - Reuters, via Devdiscourse - 2026-10-21