'A Very Complex Issue': Trump Leaves Door Open to Dropping Nvidia CEO as Tech Adviser After China Spy Report

Donald Trump has left open the possibility of dropping Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang from his role as a technology adviser, saying he would continue backing the billionaire executive only unless investigators uncover something that changes his mind about an alleged Chinese espionage operation involving someone he interacted with.

American intelligence agencies had identified Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, as a suspected Chinese intelligence asset who had developed a close relationship with the Nvidia chief executive and was sharing information with Beijing, according to The New York Times.

Asked whether he still had confidence in Huang as an adviser, Trump fell short of giving an unconditional endorsement. 'I would like to say yes. I mean, unless we find out something to the contrary,' he recently told reporters at his Florida residence.

'I've always found Jensen Huang to be very aboveboard. But, you know, you're dealing in a very complex issue,' Trump added.

His comments leave Huang's position potentially vulnerable as the administration examines allegations that a suspected Chinese intelligence operation may have exploited the Nvidia chief's business relationships to obtain information.

Trump Promises Close Scrutiny of China Spy Allegations

Trump expressed confidence in Huang's character and professional abilities, but promised that the administration would examine the allegations closely.

'I have a lot of respect for Jensen. I didn't know about the specific thing, but I hope he's going to be OK. He's a great, brilliant person, and we want to protect our brilliant people,' Trump said. 'We're going to check it out very closely. We hope everything's okay with Jensen. We'll check it out. We're going to check it out very closely.'

According to The New York Times, Trump had been briefed on intelligence findings concerning Alice Huang approximately a year earlier.

Singapore Data Centre Firm Part of the Controversy

Alice Huang was associated with Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data centre company that purchases advanced Nvidia processors to build computing facilities and lease capacity to businesses, including customers in China.

The company's business has attracted scrutiny amid Washington's efforts to prevent advanced American semiconductor technology from reaching Chinese entities.

Nvidia disputed the suggestion that its chief executive's interactions with Alice Huang were unusual. A company spokesperson previously told MarketWatch that its regional cloud customers received ordinary business information rather than sensitive trade details relevant to national security.

The company also said allegations that Megaspeed had diverted chips had been thoroughly investigated and debunked. Huang has separately told Bloomberg that Nvidia verified Megaspeed had not sent its AI chips to China in violation of US trade restrictions.

The controversy carries particular significance because Huang has become an influential voice in Trump's technology policy. He has advised the president on artificial intelligence and was among the technology executives who accompanied Trump on his May visit to Beijing, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Huang has also repeatedly argued that American chipmakers should retain access to the Chinese market, warning that excessively restrictive export controls could accelerate China's development of domestic semiconductor technology. That position has likely placed Nvidia at the centre of a difficult balancing act between its commercial interests and Washington's national security priorities.