Huang Says Trump 'Saved' AI — Yet China May Reject NVIDIA's H200 Chips

The global race for artificial intelligence is heating up, but its fate may rest on a geopolitical tightrope. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has made a provocative claim: that President Donald Trump 'saved' the AI industry.

Yet, even as Huang credits US policy, his company's latest, vital hardware—the H200 chip—faces potential rejection in one of the world's most critical tech markets: China.

Huang Credits Trump for AI's Foundation

While appearing on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience on Wednesday, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang declared that US President Donald Trump's energy policies, which were aimed at encouraging economic growth, 'saved the AI industry.'

The NVIDIA chief was clear and direct, stating that the current expansion of the AI sector in the US would not have been possible without Trump's policy decisions. Speaking with host Joe Rogan, Huang detailed his reasoning, citing that when Trump entered office, his first move was to declare 'drill, baby, drill.'

The top executive argued the core requirement is more energy, stressing that 'we can have no industrial growth' without it. He then asserted that this policy 'saved the AI industry.'

Energy Growth as the Engine of Industry

During his 2024 Presidential campaign, Trump continuously used the 'drill, baby, drill' slogan. He memorably repeated the phrase in his 2025 inaugural speech, signifying a clear shift back toward fossil fuels and achieving energy dominance. This stance marked a complete rejection of the clean energy and climate transition initiatives pursued by the Joe Biden administration.

The NVIDIA CEO went on to assert, 'I got to tell you flat out, if not for his [Trump's] pro-growth energy policies, we would not be able to build factories for AI, we'd not be able to build chip factories. We surely wouldn't be able to build supercomputer factories; none of that stuff would have been possible.'

His comments highlighted the essential link between energy requirements for industrial expansion and the resulting increase in employment opportunities.

When host Rogan enquired whether the US winning the AI competition carried national security importance, the NVIDIA CEO responded, 'I'm not sure... I don't think anybody, I don't think anybody really knows.' Beyond commending the US President's policies centred on energy dominance, Huang also commented that Trump was more complex than merely the 'negative stories' often reported.

The head of NVIDIA remarked, 'You could tell his love for America, what he wants to do for America. And everything that he thinks through is very practical and very common sense, and, you know, it's very logical.'

While Huang strongly backed the former President's policy choices, a significant commercial hurdle remains: the potential rejection of NVIDIA's most powerful new hardware in China.

The China Question: Will Beijing Reject NVIDIA's H200?

Addressing reporters at the US Capitol after meeting with Trump, Huang expressed doubt that China would acquire the firm's H200 artificial intelligence chips.

This uncertainty persists despite the possibility that the United States may reduce its restrictions on the sale of the processors. Huang confirmed that export controls were discussed with Trump, but offered no specific information.

The NVIDIA chief met with the President shortly after Trump administration officials began debating whether to approve the sale of the H200 in China. When asked if Beijing authorities would actually permit Chinese companies to acquire the advanced chips,

Huang conveyed his uncertainty. 'We don't know. We have no clue,' he said while heading into a closed-door session with members of the Senate Banking Committee, which has authority over export controls. A White House spokesperson later confirmed that the administration does not comment on private discussions.

A decision to allow H200 sales into China would be a significant success for the world's most valuable company. The chipmaker has actively urged the Trump administration and the US Congress to relax export controls that are preventing NVIDIA from supplying its advanced AI processors to the world's second-largest economy.