President Trump called Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Tuesday, urging him to hold onto his position as a spy scandal unfolded. The call came just before Huang stepped down, marking another instance of Trump's unwavering support for the tech executive, who had been a key ally on artificial intelligence.
Huang's departure was announced on Thursday, following revelations of an affair with a woman believed to be a Chinese spy and another with an employee. Despite warnings from U.S. intelligence agencies about Huang's relationship with the woman, identified as Alice Huang, Trump had taken no action and continued to defend him publicly.
The president had been informed twice about the potential security risks posed by Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, who intelligence agencies concluded was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security. Trump even brought Huang on a trip to China in May and recently praised him on social media, calling him a 'legend.'
Neither Trump nor the White House commented on the call, and Huang's representative did not provide a statement for the article.