Trump's Investment Plan: Will It Benefit Everyday Americans?

President Donald J. Trump’s latest Executive Order, signed on March 31, 2025, promises to turbocharge America’s economy with the United States Investment Accelerator. Housed within the Department of Commerce, this new office aims to lure investments exceeding $1 billion by slashing regulations, speeding up permits, and rolling out the red carpet for big business. On its face, it’s a dazzling vision of prosperity, a bold stroke to cement America’s economic dominance. But peel back the glossy veneer, and what emerges is less a plan for shared growth and more a love letter to corporate titans itching to sidestep accountability.

Trump touts this as a win for jobs and innovation, a way to keep the United States the world’s economic powerhouse. He’s not entirely wrong that our regulatory maze can stifle progress; tangled permitting processes and outdated rules have long frustrated entrepreneurs and investors alike. Yet the Accelerator’s laser focus on billion-dollar deals reveals its true heartbeat: it’s not about the little guy or the broader public good. It’s about greasing the wheels for the already powerful, leaving everyday Americans to wonder where their piece of the pie went.

This isn’t a fresh idea born of necessity, either. It’s a reheated playbook from a man whose first term prized deregulation above all else, often at the expense of worker protections and environmental safeguards. The Accelerator might accelerate investment, sure, but it risks accelerating inequality, too. History whispers a warning here, and we’d be fools to ignore it.

Let’s talk numbers, because the Trump administration loves to flaunt them. They claim $3 trillion in private investments have poured in during his second term, a figure meant to dazzle and disarm. Impressive, yes, but context matters. The CHIPS Act, passed in 2022 under a different administration, already sparked over $540 billion in semiconductor investments, creating 500,000 jobs across 23 states. That was a targeted, bipartisan effort to shore up a critical industry, not a free-for-all for any corporation with a billion bucks to spare. Trump’s Accelerator, by contrast, feels like a scattershot gift to the highest bidders.

Research backs up the value of strategic government action. Peru’s accelerator program tied grants to measurable outcomes like sales and financing, hitting over 70% of its targets while forging private-sector ties. Start-Up Chile turned a nation into an innovation hub by nurturing startups, not just coddling giants. These efforts show accelerators can work when they prioritize innovation and equity over blind deregulation. Trump’s version, though, seems more about speed than substance, rushing approvals without ensuring the benefits trickle down.

Then there’s the CHIPS Program Office, now under the Accelerator’s wing. The administration brags it’ll negotiate sharper deals than its predecessor, but the CHIPS Act’s success predates Trump’s return. Its $32.5 billion in grants and $5.85 billion in loans have already bolstered national security by securing domestic semiconductor production, easing inflation tied to supply chain woes. Why fix what isn’t broken? Handing this to an office obsessed with cutting corners risks undermining a proven winner for political points.

Supporters argue that streamlining is overdue, that our regulatory thicket chokes investment. They’re not entirely off-base; states like Kentucky and Pennsylvania have shown that smarter compliance can boost business formation without torching standards. But Trump’s approach doesn’t balance simplicity with rigor. It’s a bulldozer, not a scalpel, and the collateral damage could hit workers, communities, and the environment hardest.

Foreign investment, another pillar of the plan, gets a nod with last month’s memorandum balancing security and openness. Fair enough, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has tightened scrutiny on adversaries like China, protecting sensitive tech. But the Accelerator’s blanket deregulation could weaken those guardrails, inviting risks under the guise of economic patriotism. It’s a gamble we can’t afford in a world where semiconductors are as vital as steel once was.

America’s economic future doesn’t hinge on handing blank checks to billion-dollar investors. It thrives when we invest in people, not just profits. State governments, often unsung heroes, prove this daily. Nevada’s 'Right to Start' law cuts fees and red tape for entrepreneurs, not just corporate behemoths. Michigan’s economic development efforts target jobs and diversification, not headline-grabbing cash dumps. These models show growth can lift everyone, not just the boardroom elite.

The Accelerator could’ve been a chance to blend federal muscle with state ingenuity, to prioritize small businesses and startups over entrenched giants. Instead, it’s a top-down power play, amplifying the loudest voices while drowning out the rest. We deserve an economy where innovation doesn’t come at the cost of accountability, where national security isn’t a buzzword but a bedrock principle.

This isn’t about rejecting investment; it’s about demanding it serves the public, not the other way around. The CHIPS Act worked because it had focus, funding, and foresight. Trump’s Accelerator lacks that clarity, trading precision for pageantry. We’ve seen this movie before, and the ending rarely favors the little guy.