Howard Lutnick agrees to testify as bipartisan pressure mounts following Nvidia scandal

Earlier Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, told reporters that Lutnick should appear voluntarily, but if he doesn’t, “he may have to be subpoenaed.”

Blumenthal said one thing he wants to know is: “Have export controls been relaxed?

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said in an interview with Fox News that he would like Lutnick to testify before Congress “as soon as possible,” noting concerns about exporting chips that shouldn’t have.

“We have a lot of bipartisan questions and concerns about what has happened over the last year that could allow some of these problems to continue, particularly with respect to the export of chips, apparently, to defy President Trump’s orders to stop these exports,” Banks said.

Huang’s extramarital activity added to concerns that Nvidia chips may have been smuggled or obtained illegally by AI companies in China. Nvidia said it complies with US export laws.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday that Lutnick “definitely should” testify before Congress.

“I think he should have the opportunity and the strong encouragement to do it without a subpoena,” Cramer said. “If a subpoena becomes necessary, that would be a shame. But yes, he absolutely should do it.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Mass., said in a statement that Lutnick must “explain why they have failed to close export control loopholes and act today to ensure our cutting-edge technology does not fuel China’s military.”

The White House defended Lutnick, writing in a statement that the president “maintains complete confidence in the Secretary and his ability to serve as the most transformative Secretary of Commerce in modern history.”

Huang has previously praised Lutnick’s role in strengthening the United States’ efforts to become a leader in the field of AI.

“Howard is the person I talk to the most in administration – he’s on top of technology and is learning the industry quickly,” Huang said when appearing at an Nvidia panel alongside Lutnick in September 2025.

Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York, Gabe Amo of Rhode Island and Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California — top Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee — signed a letter Monday demanding answers from Lutnick on “the Trump administration’s approval of exports of advanced AI chips,” noting “ties to China” and “alarming reports of potential ties to Chinese intelligence” with Huang.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, Republican of Florida, said Thursday that Huang had agreed to brief lawmakers, although the date and location were still being negotiated. In a new letter to Huang on Thursday, Mast asked him to appear before the committee on Dec. 1 for a “transcribed closed-door interview,” adding that a subpoena would be issued if Huang did not confirm the interview by Friday evening.

Some members of Congress have said they want answers from Lutnick much sooner than next month, when the Senate Banking Committee schedules its hearings.

“Come here before Thanksgiving. Give us the facts,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said Thursday.

Tillis, who will leave Congress in January, said it would be wise for Lutnick to testify before Congress now, before Democrats take control of both chambers next year, adding that the secretary “should recognize right now that there are a lot of Republicans pulling for him.”

“I’m not one of them, but he is,” Tillis said. “So it seems to me that he would be doing himself a favor by going into a room with Republicans, whether it’s a committee hearing or not, and laying out the facts in a way that he has a group of people who will generally take at face value what he says.”