WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threw his full weight behind Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday, resisting mounting pressure following the explosive resignation of Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang over an extramarital liaison with an alleged Chinese operative.
Lutnick remains firmly in power. A senior White House official affirmed that Trump maintains total faith in his cabinet member, calling Lutnick the nation's "most transformative commerce secretary in modern history." Yet the diplomatic and corporate firestorm is only widening across Washington and Silicon Valley.
Scrutiny on the Commerce Department intensified after revelations that Lutnick spent the past year aggressively fighting to undo enforcement actions mapped out by other Trump administration officials against Megaspeed. The Singapore-based technology distributor—a major customer of Nvidia—faces formal accusations of illegally funneling advanced American-made artificial intelligence semiconductors straight into China.
The national security breach hit point-blank range. Alice Huang, the woman identified as an alleged Chinese spy, served as an executive at Megaspeed while conducting an extramarital affair with Jensen Huang.
President Trump maintains complete confidence in the secretary and his ability to carry out the position as the most transformative commerce secretary in modern history.
White House Official
And Capitol Hill is pushing back hard. House Democrats have launched a coordinated offensive against the administration's high-tech export enforcement, demanding urgent hearings into how Chinese intelligence penetrated the upper echelon of America's AI supply chain while Lutnick allegedly blunted sanctions against Megaspeed.
Huang’s fall was instantaneous. The 62-year-old executive stepped down from all duties—surrendering his posts as president, chief executive, and board director—after admitting to the relationship. Nvidia's board moved quickly to stop the bleeding, naming Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim chief executive. Kress, who joined the chipmaker in 2013, will run daily operations while the board mounts a global search for a permanent successor.
The departure severs Nvidia from its chief architect. Born in Taiwan in 1963, Huang moved to the United States in 1973 at age nine before co-founding Nvidia in 1993, eventually transforming the graphics-card maker into one of the wealthiest and most consequential hardware giants on earth.
Jensen’s contributions to NVIDIA are profound. NVIDIA is one of the most consequential technology companies in the world. The Board and the company thank Jensen for his immeasurable contributions to the company and the industry.
Nvidia Board of Directors
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outgoing Executive | Jensen Huang (Resigned CEO, President & Board Member) | ||
| Interim Chief Executive | Colette Kress (Joined Nvidia 2013, Current CFO & EVP) | ||
| Accused Intermediary Entity | Megaspeed (Singapore-based Nvidia customer) | ||
| Primary Export Violation Charge | Illicit diversion of US-manufactured AI chips to China | ||
| Commerce Department Status | Secretary Howard Lutnick backed by the White House |
Congressional panels are now finalizing witness lists and formal inquiries into export licensing across the Commerce Department, setting up an explosive confrontation between Capitol Hill and Lutnick over the Singapore supply pipelines.