Trump pressured companies in multiple fields to gain political leverage for the midterm elections

On October 2, according to Reuters, two sources said that Eli Lilly was asked by the US government to increase insulin production; Pfizer was asked to increase production of its best-selling anti-cancer drug Aiboxin and cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor; and London-based AstraZeneca was asked to consider moving its new headquarters to the United States. Two people familiar with the matter said that pharmaceutical industry executives receive almost daily calls from White House staff and senior officials of agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Commerce. But pharmaceutical companies are just the tip of the iceberg. < b > More than half a dozen people familiar with the matter said that the Trump administration is pushing for cooperation agreements covering as many as 30 industries , involving dozens of companies considered critical to national or economic security. In some cases, the administration has offered tariff relief in exchange for concessions, income guarantees, or equity investments in troubled companies, along with other forms of assistance. The fast-paced push for deals is designed to give Trump political leverage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the sources noted. < b > The administration has approached multiple segments of the economy, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, critical minerals, shipbuilding, energy, battery production, pharmaceuticals, and freight, the sources noted.