Schumer says Trump support of Nvidia CEO a ‘dereliction of duty’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) slammed President Trump over his association with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang following reports about the tech leader having an intimate relationship with alleged Chinese spy Alice Huang.

“The press reports that Trump was briefed more than a year ago that Nvidia’s CEO was having an affair with a suspected Chinese spy, and Trump didn’t do anything — anything — about it. Can you believe that?” Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor .

“One of our most important companies, that’s involved in national security, and the CEO might be having an affair with a Chinese spy?” he added. “And Trump did nothing about it? What a dereliction of duty. He’s supposed to protect America, not China.”

Trump on Sunday called the Nvidia CEO an “honorable guy” in the wake of reports about the tech mogul having an intimate relationship with the accused Chinese spy. The president told reporters that he had talked with Jensen Huang, who is close with Trump, about the allegations.

“I just know he’s a fine person, but you never know what is going on. I’m sure. I hope everything’s fine. He’s done such an incredible job, and so I would certainly hope he’s a fine person, in my opinion,” Trump said.

The New York Times has reported that, according to a 2025 report from the American intelligence community, Alice Huang last year illegally smuggled advanced AI chips to China as she got into a “close relationship” with the Nvidia CEO.

“I think, you know, I think he’s an honorable guy. I think he probably has an excuse … he’s done an amazing job for our country,” Trump said when questioned on if he wished he’d taken action on the intelligence faster.

Jensen Huang went to a trip to Beijing with the president this spring and Nvidia is one of the only companies that can sell specific AI chips to China. The Nvidia CEO on Sunday reportedly acknowledged that he was “unfaithful” to his wife in a message to his company after an Nvidia spokesperson initially shot down the report about the relationship

Nvidia has also announced an investigation into Jensen Huang over the weekend over the allegations.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.