White House weighs removing Commerce Secretary Lutnick over Nvidia China exports

White House officials are discussing whether to remove Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick amid a spy scandal involving Nvidia's former CEO Jensen Huang, who resigned Thursday. Lawmakers have criticized Lutnick over the administration's refusal to add Chinese companies to a US trade blacklist and oversight of Nvidia's exports to China. Criticism of Lutnick predates Huang's resignation, which followed reports of an affair with Alice Huang, suspected by US authorities of spying for Beijing. The charge that Lutnick hasn't restricted AI chip shipments to China has grown, with senators demanding explanations and preserving documents related to Nvidia's exports. The US hasn't added Chinese companies to the trade blacklist since October 2025, the longest stretch in over a decade, due to fears of escalating tensions. Lutnick, a Wall Street veteran and Trump friend for three decades, has been urged to answer questions publicly and will appear before Congress.