White House weighs removing Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary over Nvidia export scrutiny

The White House is reportedly considering removing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick amid scrutiny over U.S. exports of advanced Nvidia chips to China, according to Reuters, citing two sources. Lawmakers are questioning the administration's handling of Chinese companies posing national security risks. Criticism has intensified following the resignation of Nvidia's former CEO Jensen Huang, whose reported relationship with an executive linked to a Singapore-based chip buyer raised concerns. Several lawmakers accused the Commerce Department of failing to tighten restrictions, including delays in blacklisting DeepSeek and memory chipmaker CXMT. Senator John Kennedy said Lutnick must answer questions before Congress, while Senator Elizabeth Warren urged officials to preserve documents on Nvidia exports. Democratic lawmakers launched an inquiry into approved chip sales, questioning a reported deal allowing H200 sales in exchange for export revenue.