White House weighs ousting Lutnick over Nvidia chip export concerns

White House officials are discussing whether to oust Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick amid a spy scandal involving Nvidia's former CEO Jensen Huang and concerns over AI chip exports to China, two sources said Thursday. Lawmakers have criticized Lutnick for the administration's refusal to add dozens of Chinese companies to a US trade blacklist and for oversight of Nvidia's exports. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Coons demanded explanations and document preservation, while Republican Senator John Kennedy called the situation "as serious as an aneurism." The US has not added Chinese firms to the blacklist since October 2025, the longest gap in over a decade, due to fears of escalating tensions. Huang resigned after reports of an affair with Alice Huang, suspected of spying for Beijing, and had supported more exports to China.