Trump will kill CHIPS Act by gutting NIST employees

Impact on CHIPS Act and U.S. Semiconductor Capacity

• Many see gutting NIST CHIPS staff as effectively killing the CHIPS Act, undermining TSMC Arizona, Intel, and other foundry plans just as they start to matter.
• Critics argue this hands strategic advantage to China, which is heavily subsidizing its own chip ecosystem, and makes the U.S. more vulnerable if Taiwan is attacked.
• Pushback to “we were fine before 2022”: commenters recall COVID-era chip shortages and emphasize the national‑security need for domestic capacity, especially for military systems.

TSMC Arizona, U.S. Workers, and Labor Economics

• Some repeat the narrative that “Americans won’t work as hard” as Taiwanese; others counter that the real issue is TSMC’s relatively low pay by U.S. tech standards and 9‑9‑6‑style expectations.
• Arizona fab performance is cited as strong, but with a large proportion of imported Taiwanese staff, which some say drains Taiwan’s own “silicon shield.”
• A side discussion explores how cost of living, housing scarcity, and wage dynamics drive labor expectations and undermine low‑wage manufacturing in the U.S.

Tariffs vs Subsidies and Industrial Policy

• One camp argues it’s not federal government’s job to steer industries and that subsidies distort markets; another replies that semiconductors are clearly strategic, like food or medicine.
• Tariffs are described as both taxes (raising consumer prices) and indirect subsidies (protecting domestic producers). Some prefer direct subsidies; others prefer tariffs as simpler and less corrupt.
• There’s concern that combining CHIPS rollbacks with high tariffs on foreign semis leaves U.S. firms with higher costs and constrained supply.

Trump, MAGA, and Geopolitics

• Several see these moves as serving oligarchs and foreign adversaries, not “MAGA,” and note that China and Russia benefit from U.S. deindustrialization and alliance erosion.
• Others frame it as consistent with populist anti‑government, anti‑bureaucracy instincts and a belief that tariffs create private‑sector jobs.

Taiwan, TSMC, and War Risk

• Commenters highlight U.S. dependence on TSMC and discuss scenarios where fabs would be destroyed if China invades.
• Debate over whether the U.S. would truly fight for Taiwan: some say defense was always a bluff and only sanctions are realistic; others stress past U.S. wars for far flimsier reasons.
• CHIPS is characterized by some as an insurance policy to reduce the economic shock of a Taiwan conflict; skeptics argue war costs would dwarf CHIPS anyway.