Trump's Ex-AI Czar Sacks Slams Sanders' Government Equity Plan as 'Stupidity Tax,' Warns Against Nationalization

David Sacks, former Trump administration AI czar, on June 6, 2026, denounced Senator Bernie Sanders' bill proposing 50% government ownership of AI companies, calling it a "stupidity tax" and warning that nationalization would deepen an "Orwellian" corporate-government fusion. His critique came as President Donald Trump hinted at a voluntary partnership with AI firms to distribute dividends to the public. Sacks blamed AI CEOs for hyping existential risks without highlighting benefits, a factor he said fuels public support—even among conservatives—for government stakes. OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei have walked back earlier job-loss warnings as their companies eye blockbuster IPOs later this year. Sacks cautioned that a central government AI would be more totalistic than a central bank digital currency, capable of curating reality and enforcing ideological conformity. Trump separately told reporters he expects to meet AI companies within the coming week to discuss a concept where "the American public essentially becomes a partner." Senior U.S. officials have already held preliminary talks with executives like Altman about voluntary share transfers, according to NOTUS. Sanders' bill, outlined in a New York Times op-ed, would also empower the government to block harmful AI decisions.