Trump backs Nvidia's Huang as chipmaker probes foreign intel allegations

Donald Trump gave Jensen Huang a public vote of confidence on Sunday, calling the Nvidia chief executive an honorable person and crediting him with doing an amazing job for the country. Speaking to reporters, the president made clear the praise was not the product of a private conversation. Asked about the allegations, Trump said he had not spoken to Huang about them, adding, I just know he's a fine person, but you never know what is going on.

The president didn't shut the door on Huang either. He said Huang probably has an excuse for it and that you have to hear it out, then wrapped it up with a shrug and a hope that everything's fine.

The backdrop is anything but fine. Nvidia said Sunday it is probing whether Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence effort, after a media report alleged he had a close relationship with a Chinese businesswoman who passed information to Beijing.

Trump was also asked whether he'd bring Huang along on his trip to Asia next week. His answer was noncommittal but warm: I don't know, but I'd certainly take him.

That endorsement matters for a company sitting at the center of the US-China tech standoff. Nvidia's chips are among the most fought-over hardware in Washington, and any question about its CEO's foreign ties lands right in that fault line. For now, the White House is signaling friendship, while Nvidia runs its own internal review.