Commerce Secretary Lutnick faces biggest threat to job over Nvidia chip scandal

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces the most serious threat to his job amid a bipartisan scandal over his department's handling of Nvidia and risks of advanced U.S. chips reaching China, with his friendship with President Donald Trump seen as his main protection. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott requested Lutnick appear voluntarily, while Republican Sen. Jim Banks accused him of defying Trump's orders on Nvidia's Blackwell chips and called for an investigation. A senior official called the episode "a complete and utter disaster," with critics blaming Lutnick's close ties to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who resigned Monday. Lutnick's 30-year friendship with Trump, deepened after the Sept. 11 attacks killed 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees including his brother, has helped him survive past controversies. Some officials suggest undersecretary Jeffrey Kessler could be a fall guy, though others note Lutnick's tight control over his department.