President Donald Trump is faced again pressure on his Commerce Secretary and long-time friend Howard Lutnick as the department and its leaders face growing bipartisan criticism in the wake of the Nvidia scandal, according to several current and former officials.
Although Lutnick has previously weathered criticism, including on his ties to a deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — he is now facing the most intense scrutiny of his nearly two years as Commerce secretary as Republican and Democratic lawmakers ask him to testify on his department’s handling of Nvidia and the national security risks of China’s access to U.S. chips. The senator Tim Scott (SRC) asked Lutnick to appear voluntarily before the Senate Banking Committee, which he chairs, in a letter Thursday evening.
And he also faces criticism within the administration for his close relationship with Nvidia’s CEO. Jensen Huang This, they say, has led to lax oversight of the chipmaker. Huang resigned Monday amid the scandal.
Seven current and former administration officials said the severity of the allegations makes this episode noticeably different from past efforts to undermine Lutnick. But even those who think the controversy should cost Lutnick his job doubt Trump will turn on his longtime friend, given the situation. the president’s own involvement in decisions regarding chip exports to China. The officials were granted anonymity to speak candidly about private conversations and assessments.
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