U.S. Republicans First Call for Jensen Huang to Step Down... Administration Rift as Congress Presses to Compel His Testimony (Update)

Sen. Cramer: "Jensen Huang should step down"
House rejects appearance by general counsel; warns of subpoena
Treasury secretary presses Commerce secretary over delayed restrictions
Commerce secretary also among those briefed on the affair

After calls for Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to resign emerged among U.S. Republicans over an alleged affair scandal, Nvidia's board of directors is reportedly also preparing to remove him. As Congress considers compelling Huang to testify and steps up the pressure, the fallout appears to be spreading within the Trump Administration. A dispute has erupted between the Treasury and Commerce departments over delays in imposing export controls on a company where a woman suspected of having ties to Chinese intelligence worked.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican, said in an interview with Politico on Nov. 11 local time that, regarding Huang's future, "I think he should step down," adding, "The potential for him to be blackmailed is too great."

Cramer emphasized, "We don't know for sure whether the woman is a Chinese spy, but it's possible," and "even if the worst thing he did was simply have an affair, it's a national security risk because there could be other things we don't know about." The concern is that if Huang becomes a target of coercion by Chinese intelligence, Nvidia's advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chip technology and related information could be put at risk.

Efforts to compel Huang to testify before the U.S. House are taking shape. Three Republican House members are reportedly unwilling to accept a plan for Nvidia's general counsel to appear in Huang's place.

Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, warned in an interview with Fox Business that a subpoena was likely if Huang did not indicate by 5 p.m. that day that he would attend a closed-door briefing or propose an alternative date. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast also said he would consider compelling Huang to testify if he did not comply with the request to appear.

Moolenaar, Mast and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford previously sent Huang a letter asking him to attend a closed-door joint briefing on Nov. 18. The lawmakers plan to examine Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, who is suspected of having ties to Chinese intelligence, as well as Nvidia's safeguards for protecting its advanced semiconductor technology.

Frustration over delayed Megaspeed restrictions... U.S. Treasury and Commerce secretaries clash at White House

The scandal appears to be fueling internal divisions within the Trump Administration. Axios reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during a Situation Room meeting at the White House on Nov. 5, questioning why Megaspeed, which is suspected of helping Nvidia chips reach China through third parties, had not been added to the list of companies subject to export controls.

In addition to Bessent and Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer attended the meeting. Other attendees reportedly agreed with strengthening the restrictions, as did Bessent. The Commerce Department, however, denied reports that Bessent had confronted Lutnick.

The attendees later went to President Donald Trump to discuss ways to tighten semiconductor export controls. Trump reportedly approved stronger restrictions after speaking with Elon Musk. Lutnick opposed the move, warning that it could trigger a trade war with China, but Trump said the restrictions should be implemented, Axios reported.

The dispute reportedly continued as Lutnick delayed implementation, citing the need for further review. Axios reported that Trump had approved measures to block the rerouting of semiconductors to China at least three times -- in May and August this year, and on Nov. 5 -- but that Lutnick and Jeffrey Kessler, the Commerce Department's undersecretary for industry and security, delayed carrying them out.

Lutnick was reportedly among those who received classified information in May about the relationship between Huang and Alice Huang. Despite this, the Commerce Department took a reluctant stance on sanctions against Megaspeed, reportedly fueling growing frustration within the administration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.