US Commerce Secretary faces dismissal over Nvidia export control failures

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces potential dismissal over his department's handling of export controls on Nvidia's AI chips, following a scandal involving the company's CEO and a Chinese businesswoman allegedly linked to Beijing's intelligence services. Nvidia founder Jensen Huang was removed from his leadership role Thursday, while his alleged mistress Alice Huang faces restrictions on travel to Singapore, where her employer Megaspeed is based. Congressional Republicans and Democrats are demanding accountability from Lutnick and Jeffrey Kessler, who oversees exported product security. White House officials told Reuters the administration is seriously considering replacing Lutnick, who joined Trump's cabinet in February 2025. Former employees have described the department's AI export management as a national security threat.