White House weighs ousting Commerce Secretary Lutnick over China chip export controls

The White House is considering removing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over his handling of US export controls to China, following criticism tied to Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang's resignation and suspected Chinese intelligence links, Reuters reported Thursday. Senior officials have discussed Lutnick's potential ouster as lawmakers question why advanced technology shipments to Chinese firms accused of national security risks remain unrestricted. The scrutiny predates Huang's Thursday resignation, with reports alleging Lutnick spent a year "undoing" efforts to penalize Megaspeed, a company accused of illegally diverting US-made chips to China. The Commerce Department has not added any companies to its trade blacklist since October 2025, the longest gap in over a decade. Senators John Kennedy and Elizabeth Warren demanded public answers, while a White House official said President Trump maintains "complete confidence" in Lutnick.