Ackman says Fannie-Freddie release is ‘politically critical’
Bill Ackman called on the Trump administration to release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship, warning that a Democrat-controlled government could weaponize the entities against Republicans.
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It is “absolutely politically critical for Fannie and Freddie to be released from conservatorship before the end of the Trump Administration,” Ackman said in a CNBC interview Thursday.
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Shares of Fannie and Freddie surged following the comments, rising as much as 22% and 25% in New York trading.
Ackman, whose Pershing Square has long held shares in the mortgage giants, said the positions have been a significant drag on the firm’s performance.
Shares of Fannie and Freddie have tumbled around 60% this year as investors have grown impatient about the release of the firms from government control. Ackman said he remains “very bullish” on Fannie and Freddie.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week suggested the government may not address the mortgage giants’ ownership structure until 2027 or 2028 and said protecting mortgage rates remains the administration’s priority.
