Trump Urged Nvidia CEO to Stay Amid Spy Claims, Chip Ties, and Wall Street Fears
President Donald Trump personally called Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Tuesday urging him to fight for his position, two days before Huang's resignation following revelations about extramarital affairs and alleged ties to Chinese espionage, according to the New York Times. US intelligence agencies had warned Trump twice about Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese national allegedly recruited by China's Ministry of State Security, but Trump ignored the warnings and even included him in a May delegation to China. Trump reportedly feared the resignation's impact on Wall Street and considered Nvidia crucial to US dominance in artificial intelligence. Huang had become a close Trump ally, advising on AI policy and persuading him to allow some chip exports to China despite opposition from MAGA figures like Steve Bannon. The agreement gave the US government 15-25% of revenue from certain China chip sales, raising national security concerns.