Hello Capitalists,

Here is everything we are following today:

• Trump tears Mamdani apart, promises to withhold federal funding

• Trump announces massive investment in American coal to meet AI demand

• Capitalism only slightly more favorable than Socialism in New York: poll

• EA goes private in historic $55 billion deal

• Biotech giants crushed by rapidly declining demand for COVID-19 vaccines

Today’s markets:

• DOW: 46180.06 (-0.15%)

• S&P: 6634.15 (+0.11%)

• NASDAQ: 22465.02 (+0.44%)

• CBOE VIX Volatility Index: (+5.62%)

Trump tells Mamdani he won’t get a dime from the federal gov’t for “FAKE communist promises”

President Donald Trump tore NYC mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani apart on Truth Social, calling him a “Communist” and threatening to withhold federal funding from New York City if Mamdani wins, stating “He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him?”

• Adams suspends campaign amid pressure: The attacks came one day after Mayor Eric Adams suspended his campaign following pressure from Trump and others who wanted him to quit the race to improve former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s chances of defeating Mamdani in November’s general election.

• Crowded race continues: Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist (not a communist), defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary, while Cuomo is now running as an independent alongside Adams, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa has refused to drop out despite pressure from Trump and others.

We Are Charlie Kirk

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Trump announces $625 million investment to modernize American coal plants to meet AI demands

The Trump administration announced a major funding package of $625 million to modernize coal plants, improve wastewater systems, enable dual-fuel operations, and support coal projects in rural communities to keep the industry competitive.

• AI race demands: Energy Secretary Christopher Wright argued the investment is essential for winning the “global race for dominance in artificial intelligence,” with coal currently providing 15-16% of U.S. electricity and supporting the country’s reindustrialization efforts.

• Reversing previous administration policies: Wright stated that coal has been “under assault” during the Biden and Obama administrations, calling it the “backbone” of steel production, critical for cement manufacturing, and necessary to support the AI boom and American industrial strength.

• Export and domestic use expansion: The investment aims to increase U.S. coal exports while maintaining domestic use for American industry, with Wright emphasizing that coal has “a long future” and urging Americans to “stop wishing it would go away” given its importance to the country’s economy.

Capitalism narrowly preferred over socialism by New Yorkers: Poll

A Fox News poll of New York City voters found 48% hold a favorable view of capitalism compared to 41% for socialism, while 40% view capitalism unfavorably versus 44% who view socialism negatively.

• Sharp partisan and gender divides: Democratic voters had a net negative view of capitalism (41% favorable vs. 49% unfavorable) but favored socialism (49% vs. 35%), while male New Yorkers strongly preferred capitalism (59% favorable) over socialism (40%), and independent voters favored capitalism 45% to 27%.

• Socialist politicians more popular than socialism itself: Despite the modest preference for capitalism as an economic system, democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani holds a 50% favorable rating among New Yorkers, with supporters citing his focus on affordability and change, while Sen. Bernie Sanders enjoyed a 61% favorable rating.

• Opposition centered on ideology: Among the 38% who view Mamdani unfavorably, 28% specifically cited his communist or socialist views as their primary concern, while 11% referenced his positions on Israel and Gaza or accusations of antisemitism, and another 11% opposed his policy ideas generally.

EA is going private in record-setting $55 billion deal

Electronic Arts agreed to be acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners in an all-cash deal worth $55 billion ($210 per share), set to become the largest leveraged buyout in Wall Street history.

• Saudi PIF as majority investor: The Public Investment Fund is rolling over its existing 9.9% stake and will be the majority investor in the new structure, with the group making a $36 billion equity investment combined with $20 billion in debt financing from JPMorgan.

• Jared Kushner involvement: Affinity Partners CEO Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, praised EA’s “bold vision for the future” and expressed excitement about the company’s iconic gaming franchises including Battlefield, The Sims, and Madden NFL.

• Deal timeline and structure: The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, with a 45-day window allowing for competing proposals, while EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed he will continue leading the company under the new ownership structure.

Biotech giants crushed by rapidly declining demand for COVID-19 vaccines

Moderna and BioNTech shares have plunged 95% and 78% respectively from their August 2021 peaks, reducing eight billionaire founders’ combined wealth from $116 billion to $28.8 billion, driven by declining vaccination rates and reduced government purchasing, Forbes reports.

• RFK Jr.’s impact on industry: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as HHS Secretary has created chaos for vaccine makers, including firing the CDC director, replacing the vaccine advisory committee with less-experienced, anti-Covid-vaccine members, and restricting the latest Covid vaccines to adults over 65 only.

• Continued Covid vaccine dependence: Despite promises to develop mRNA vaccines for other diseases, both companies remain heavily reliant on Covid-19 vaccine sales—95% of Moderna’s $3.2 billion revenue and 88% of BioNTech’s $3 billion revenue in 2024, with projected declines of 32% and 20% respectively for 2025.

• Different financial positions: BioNTech appears better positioned with $19 billion in cash, partnerships with Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb that share risk, and a pivot to cancer treatments, while Moderna spent $5.3 billion on share buybacks, has only $7.5 billion remaining, and faces FDA/CDC roadblocks on its RSV vaccine and flu/Covid combo shot.