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United States President Donald Trump on Thursday endorsed former Apple CEO Tim Cook to lead Nvidia following Jensen Huang's resignation amid allegations involving a suspected Chinese intelligence operative, as lawmakers intensified demands for an investigation into potential U.S. national security risks.
"Now that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there is only one man to take his place – Tim Cook of Apple. A Legend replaces a Legend!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president reiterated his support for Cook during an interview with sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, while praising Huang's leadership of the semiconductor company.
"I think Tim Cook would be a great candidate to run Nvidia," Trump said, describing Huang as a "tremendous talent" who would be difficult to replace.
Trump credited Cook with helping build Apple into one of the world's leading technology companies.
Nvidia announced Thursday that Huang had stepped down as president, CEO and board member, effective immediately, amid an independent investigation into reports that he had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.
The company appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO and said it would consider both internal and external candidates for the permanent position.
Nvidia has not announced a permanent replacement, and there was no indication that Cook had been approached about the position.
Trump also addressed allegations concerning Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen reportedly suspected by U.S. intelligence agencies of having links to China's Ministry of State Security.
"Well, the big thing is, was the woman spy? And I don't know if that's been determined yet. But if the woman was a spy, yes. If the woman was not a spy, perhaps it would be different," Trump said when asked whether Huang should have resigned.
The allegations concerning Alice Huang and her reported intelligence connections have not been publicly established.
Trump said he had spoken with the former Nvidia chief executive Wednesday and that Huang was particularly concerned about the controversy's impact on his family.
“I spoke to him yesterday. He's going through hell. What he feels most badly about is his wife and family," Trump said.
The president also expressed confidence in Huang's ability to recover from the controversy.
"Somehow he'll end up on his feet," he said.
According to a New York Times report Thursday, Trump had urged Huang during a telephone conversation Tuesday to fight to retain his position.
Citing two people briefed on the conversation, the newspaper reported that Trump had been warned at least twice about Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, whom U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly assessed had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security.
Despite those warnings, Trump continued supporting Huang, according to the report.
The newspaper said Trump considered Nvidia central to the U.S. economy and his administration's ambitions to dominate artificial intelligence, and feared that Huang's departure could trigger a sharp decline in the stock market.
Huang's resignation marks a major leadership transition at Nvidia, which he led for 33 years.
Kress, who joined the company in 2013, is expected to retain her financial responsibilities while overseeing operations during the leadership transition.
Nvidia has not publicly detailed the circumstances behind Huang's resignation.
The company's board previously expressed confidence in Huang and said it had no reason to believe U.S. national security or company secrets had been compromised.
The leadership change comes as congressional scrutiny of the reported foreign intelligence operation intensifies.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott said Thursday that he had requested testimony from Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the allegations.
"Recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive U.S. technology. I am requesting that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testify before the Senate Banking Committee," Scott wrote on X.
Separately, Rep. Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Hill that Huang had agreed to participate in a closed-door congressional briefing on potential national security threats.
Mast said lawmakers were still determining the timing and participants, adding that the proceedings would likely be conducted under oath, transcribed and recorded on video.
Several congressional panels are expected to participate, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Intelligence Committee and Select Committee on China.
The request followed a letter sent to Huang last week by Mast and the Republican chairs of the other two committees, asking him to respond by Nov. 11.
Congressional Democrats also called for further scrutiny of Nvidia and the Trump administration's handling of the allegations.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday that lawmakers needed additional information about the controversy and its possible implications for national security.
"There certainly are more questions than answers," Jeffries told reporters.
He said Reps. Greg Meeks and Jim Himes, who are expected to lead the House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees, respectively, were coordinating efforts to investigate.
Jeffries said lawmakers had received a classified briefing earlier in the week, but that it had focused primarily on Iran rather than Nvidia.
"We need a classified briefing made available to members of Congress as it relates to the Nvidia situation and to the extent that our national security has been compromised. The American people deserve answers, and we're going to work to make sure that happens," he said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer similarly called for continued congressional scrutiny despite Huang's departure.
"Despite Jensen Huang’s resignation, Congress must demand answers from Mr. Huang and others at Nvidia about how they may have put U.S. national security at risk," Schumer wrote on X.
He also questioned what steps the Trump administration had taken after learning about Huang's alleged relationship.
"What did Trump know when he personally invited Mr. Huang aboard Air Force One? Americans deserve to know that those at the highest levels of power are putting America first, not their bottom line or their personal friendships," Schumer said.
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