Democrats Probe Whether Nvidia's $26M in Contributions to Trump's Projects Influenced Approval of AI Chip Sales to China

Two senior congressional Democrats are investigating whether President Donald Trump approved Nvidia AI chip sales to China only after the chipmaker steered at least $26 million (£19.5 million) towards his personal projects.

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and Representative Richard Neal of Massachusetts wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on 12 November, hours after Jensen Huang resigned from Nvidia. Ranking members of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees, both take the gavels in January after Democrats won Congress on 3 November.

Under an arrangement approved in December 2025, Nvidia's H200 chips could reach Chinese buyers provided the Taiwan-made processors first entered the United States for a security review and licence before being re-exported. A 25% tariff was collected on arrival. Imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, it amounted to 'what appears to be an unconstitutional export tax system.'

The Money and the Timing

Clearance came, the pair say, only after Huang and Nvidia 'directed at least $26 million toward President Trump's personal priorities.' Nvidia confirmed a $25 million (£18.8 million) commitment to the White House ballroom in October 2025, three months after agreeing to hand Washington 15% of its H20 China revenue. A further $1 million (£750,000) went to his inaugural fund.

The pledge appeared on a donor list obtained by The Washington Post, published on 15 October. Nvidia tied with Apple, the Adelson family, and Charles Ergen at the top of a $333 million (£250 million) total, having asked to stay anonymous.

Nvidia says its support for the US is 'paramount, and independent of any business interests,' and that the money went to a non-partisan trust.

Warnings About Megaspeed

The letter also presses Lutnick on Megaspeed, the Singapore cloud firm led by Alice Huang, no relation, whom it calls an alleged Chinese intelligence asset. Trade records cited by The New York Times show its Malaysian subsidiary, Speedmatrix, bought at least $4.8 billion (£3.6 billion) of Nvidia-based AI equipment between June 2024 and February 2026. Megaspeed never reached Commerce's entity list, and the letter asks why Chinese 'cutout' companies with no presence at their listed addresses were cleared.

Commerce suspended its inquiry at the Justice Department's request after Nvidia's general counsel contacted investigators, and Justice opened a criminal case. The reporting did not establish Nvidia improperly influenced the pause. Megaspeed denies illegally transferring chips to China, Nvidia says its customers receive no national security information, and China's embassy has dismissed the espionage claims as 'groundless smears'. Nothing public shows Jensen Huang knew of any intelligence activity.

A classified memo on the relationship, overseen by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, circulated before Trump's May state visit to China and reached Lutnick. Trump has said the intelligence 'didn't make much of an impact on me.'

What Happens Next

Wyden and Neal cannot compel testimony until January. They have told Lutnick to preserve records on the Section 232 case, Nvidia's licence applications, and Commerce's communications about the company and Huang, citing statutes carrying up to 20 years for destroying such material.

Huang has agreed to a closed-door congressional briefing before Thanksgiving. Senate Banking Chairman Tim Scott wants him and Lutnick to testify in early December.

The Commerce Department did not immediately comment. A White House official said Trump 'maintains complete confidence in the secretary.' Nvidia has named finance chief Colette Kress interim chief executive.