Nvidia scandal sparks US national security furore and calls to take tough line on China

Nvidia’s ousted CEO Jensen Huang and Donald Trump’s commerce secretary are expected to testify before Congress in the coming weeks, as the fallout from Huang’s reported affair with an alleged Chinese spy reverberated across the US, sparking bipartisan concerns for national security and calls for a tougher stance against Beijing.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Huang and Nvidia must answer as to whether America’s security had been jeopardised, adding that the Trump administration also must account for what it did once it learned about Huang’s reported relationship with Alice Huang, who is accused of spying for China.

Donald Trump’s close ties with Jensen Huang have also come under renewed scrutiny as a timeline of the saga started to emerge. The president called Jensen Huang two days before he stepped down and urged him to fight for his job, the New York Times has reported.

On Thursday, Schumer questioned what Donald Trump knew when he personally invited Jensen Huang aboard Air Force One on a state visit to Beijing earlier this year, adding: “Americans deserve to know that those at the highest levels of power are putting America first, not their bottom line or their personal friendships.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he had demanded a classified briefing for all members of Congress about Nvidia.

The scandal has also drawn in Trump’s commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, after criticism of his department’s oversight of Nvidia’s exports to China and its refusal to add dozens of Chinese companies to a key US trade blacklist.

“Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the banking committee to address their questions,” Kristen Eichamer, a spokesperson for Lutnick, told NBC News.

Republican Tim Scott, the Senate banking committee chair said he had sent letters asking Lutnick and Jensen Huang to appear before him because: “Recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive US technology.”

Scott said he would consider subpoenaing Huang if he did not voluntarily appear. “The American people deserve answers,” Scott said.

Jensen Huang resigned from Nvidia on Thursday, and was replaced on an interim basis by chief financial officer Colette Kress after reports emerged of multiple affairs, key among them with Alice Huang, who is no relation but is suspected to be a Chinese spy.

The statement from Nvidia’s board of directors confirming Huang’s departure did not mention the spying scandal and personal conduct revelations, instead paying tribute to Huang’s “profound” contributions to the company he co-founded.

House foreign affairs chair Brian Mast, a Republican, said on Thursday that congressional staff had spoken to Nvidia on Wednesday night about a date and location for Jensen Huang’s testimony.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday there was now growing consensus in Congress on limiting chip exports to China.

Nvidia’s advanced AI chips are widely used to develop cutting-edge AI models, making the company key to the US race against China to build superior AI systems. The US has sought for years to limit China’s access to Nvidia’s chips because it does not want the Chinese military to benefit from them.

“The export controls on chips to China has been a big issue around here,” Johnson told reporters at the US Capitol, adding he favoured limiting China’s access to the advanced technology. “I think there’s a developing consensus in Congress that is an important position to take.”

Chinese AI companies are now trying to secure Nvidia chip capacity outside China, amid growing concern that the gap in US export controls may now be closed after the scandal, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Beijing has also stepped up efforts to develop domestic alternatives, including through Huawei, although analysts say Chinese chips remain less efficient for training advanced AI models.

Lawmakers are pressing their colleagues to pass at least four bills on chip exports, according to statements issued since Monday.

On Chinese social media, many expressed surprise at what they see as the swift resignation, and mourned the sudden end of an era that lasted for over three decades.

News of his resignation attracted more than 400m posts overnight on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.

Huang had enjoyed rock-star status in China, where his visits drew crowds seeking selfies and autographs and his casual outings became social-media sensations. During a January 2026 visit, opportunistic sellers advertised photographs with him for 25,000 yuan ($3,700), while a Beijing restaurant launched a special menu costing more than 400 yuan after he ate there.