CEOs Stumped by Edicts Affecting Corporations

American CEOs are facing an unusual mix of traditional conservative deregulation and populist intervention under President Donald Trump’s second term, Ted Mann reported for Bloomberg News.

Trump signed an executive order pressuring defense contractors to cut share buybacks and singled out Raytheon. (Photo: Jpalens Wikimedia Commons)

Last week, Trump issued a series of demands targeting corporate leaders to bolster his political standing ahead of midterms.

He signed an executive order pressuring defense contractors to cut share buybacks and singled out Raytheon, part of RTX Corp., which supplies the Patriot missile system and Pratt & Whitney jet engines.

After the surprise operation that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump said major oil producers would invest billions in the country’s petroleum sector—a decision the companies may not have made independently.

He also suggested restricting institutional investors, such as Blackstone Inc., from investing in single-family housing, citing rising living costs.

Trump praised Intel Corp. CEO Lip-Bu Tan during a White House meeting, highlighting a federal purchase of up to 10% of the company. Observers say the president’s interventions in private business operations are unprecedented for a modern Republican administration.