Trump urged Nvidia's Huang to keep job despite spy allegations

President Trump called Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Tuesday and urged him to fight for his job, just before Huang stepped down amid a spy scandal involving an affair with a suspected Chinese agent. Nvidia announced Huang’s replacement on Thursday. Trump had been warned twice about Huang’s relationship with a Chinese citizen believed to be recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security, but took no action and publicly praised him as a “legend.” The president viewed Nvidia as too big to fail, fearing Huang’s ouster could hurt markets and undermine U.S. AI dominance. Huang, who built Nvidia into the leading AI chip supplier, had become a key Trump ally, advising on chip sales to China and traveling with him on diplomatic trips. Trump reportedly dismissed national security concerns, focusing instead on the adultery angle and Huang’s role in boosting the U.S. economy.