President Donald Trump's social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, announced a shocking pivot into cleaner energy.
TAE Technologies, a California-based nuclear fusion startup, is partnering with Trump Media & Technology Group in a deal valued at more than $6 billion. The agreement would make the combined company one of the world's first publicly traded nuclear fusion firms.
This marks the start of an unexpected new chapter for the parent company, Truth Social.
The move has turned heads because of President Trump's long history of public skepticism toward climate-positive policies and renewable energy initiatives. At the same time, Trump has also put an emphasis on U.S. energy dominance and technological leadership.
While the Trump administration views nuclear fusion as an economic opportunity more than a climate solution, the benefits to the environment could be substantial.
Nuclear fusion generates power by combining light atomic nuclei, the same process that fuels a star.
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Unlike burning fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, fusion does not emit carbon pollution. Meanwhile, unlike traditional nuclear fission, it carries no risk of meltdown and produces no long-lived radioactive waste.
Scientists believe that if fusion is commercialized at scale, it could provide large amounts of electricity to stabilize power grids and lower long-term energy costs.
By generating electricity without producing air pollution, fusion power could help reduce smog and fine particulate matter in the air that contribute to asthma, heart disease, and other illnesses, especially in densely populated cities.
What makes TAE different is its use of alternative fuels that could make reactors simpler, safer, and cheaper to operate. CEO Michl Binderbauer believes the company has moved beyond theoretical hurdles, saying, "We have the science solved."
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Yes — it'll pay off 👍 An area of concern is that Trump Media has reported tens of millions of dollars in losses, yet it is promising to give TAE up to $300 million in funding if the merger is approved by shareholders.
Each side would own roughly half of the combined company, with Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes and Binderbauer serving as co-CEOs.
Nunes is optimistic about the deal, boasting that fusion could "lower energy prices, bolster national defense, and secure the energy needed to guarantee America's dominance of A.I. technology."
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