President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday, November 12, 2026, that former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is "going through hell" following his resignation and public allegations of an extramarital affair. Speaking on a podcast, Trump said he spoke with Huang the previous day and noted that the former executive is primarily concerned with the impact of the situation on his wife and family. Huang, 63, stepped down from the technology firm after reports surfaced regarding his relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at the Singaporean company Megaspeed.
The resignation followed a decline in Nvidia's market capitalization, with hundreds of billions of dollars in value lost after allegations emerged that Alice Huang was a Chinese asset. In October, reports indicated that she was allegedly assisting China in bypassing U.S. restrictions on advanced semiconductor chips. Nvidia is a manufacturer of graphics processing units (GPUs) used in artificial intelligence technology, which the U.S. government has sought to protect through export controls and tariffs.
Trump addressed the potential national security implications of the affair during his podcast appearance, stating that whether Huang should have resigned depends on whether the woman involved was a spy, a detail he said has not yet been determined. Trump recalled asking Huang directly about the matter, reporting that Huang denied any knowledge of the woman being a spy. This follows a May state visit to China where Huang accompanied Trump and other technology leaders; Trump stated on November 9 that he did not recall hearing about intelligence warnings regarding the matter at that time.
The situation has triggered congressional oversight. Members of the House and Senate are seeking to determine if sensitive technical information or intellectual property was compromised through the relationship. For the public, the outcome of these investigations could influence future U.S. trade restrictions on high-tech exports, which in turn affects the supply chains for consumer electronics and the competitive standing of American tech firms in the global market.
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) has requested that Huang appear voluntarily before the Senate Banking Committee on December 3, 2026. Additionally, three committees in the House of Representatives have called for Huang to participate in a closed-door interview. Senator Scott has indicated that a subpoena may be issued if Huang does not comply with the request to testify.