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US Politics

Trump says Nvidia CEO didn't know his affair partner was a suspected spy

Trump says the FBI is looking into the matter but gives no details, while Beijing rejects the spy allegation as groundless.

Jensen Huang in 2026
Jensen Huang in 2026. Photo: Anderseidesvik, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
30 news outlets reported this
Liberal14 outletsTrump backs Huang while questions about ties growCenter8 outletsTrump says FBI is investigating the affairConservative8 outletsTrump backs Huang as FBI looks into affair
ABRAnews EditorialPublished 1 min read
Overview

President Trump said at an impromptu White House briefing on Monday, Nov. 9, that he phoned Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and believes him. Huang, Trump said, told him he had "absolutely no idea" the woman he had an affair with was a spy. The woman, Alice Huang, no relation, was an executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed.

US intelligence officials believe she gathered information for Beijing, according to the New York Times. China's foreign ministry calls the allegation groundless. Trump said the is looking into it "in terms of something else."

He gave no details of the probe or when it began, and he did not say when he learned of the allegations. Huang has admitted being unfaithful to his wife and apologized. Nvidia's board has launched an independent probe and states it has no grounds to think national security or company secrets were breached.

Nvidia shares fell on Monday, by about 4% according to the BBC, which put the loss in value at about $250bn. Congressional committees have asked Huang to appear for a closed-door briefing. Trump said he is sure Chinese leader Xi Jinping will ask him about it.

Key figures
  • $250bnvalue knocked off Nvidia on Monday, per the BBCBBC News
  • 4.27 percentNvidia share fall at the end of the Nov. 9 session, per the Epoch TimesThe Epoch Times
  • 25 percent feecharged on approved H200 chip exports to China, per the Daily BeastThe Daily Beast

Three sides of the story

14Liberal8Center8Conservative

30 news outlets reported this

Tap a color or swipe sideways to switch sides.

Liberal14 outlets

Trump backs Huang while questions about ties grow

The Daily Beast calls it a "Bombshell New Probe" and opens with Trump revealing the FBI is looking at Huang. It then turns to Trump's own links to Nvidia: disclosures show he acquired up to $1.6 million in shares and sold up to $1 million in Nvidia shares, and his administration approved H200 exports for a 25 percent fee. Business Insider leads with Trump saying Huang told him he didn't know the woman "was a spy," and notes speculation over whether Huang stays CEO.

NBC News runs the clip under the headline "Trump: Jensen Huang said 'I had no idea that she was a spy'." Yahoo News, drawing on CNN reporting, says Trump "downplayed" the revelations. It reports a classified May memo overseen by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and quotes Democrats.

Rep. Jim Himes says they are pursuing whether the export decision was "improperly influenced or compromised." Sen. Chris Coons says: " will investigate and get answers."

Center8 outlets

Trump says FBI is investigating the affair

The BBC leads with Trump saying the FBI is investigating the affair, and quotes his account of the call: "I had no idea she was a spy." It reports that Beijing called the allegations "entirely groundless, speculative and intended to smear and malign China." It says Nvidia shares fell about 4% on Monday, taking about $250bn off the company's value.

The BBC adds that Trump, asked repeatedly when he learned of the relationship, said "over a period of time," and that the FBI declined to comment. It also covers the congressional letter seeking a closed-door briefing from Huang. The Journal's headline says Trump "Says Nvidia CEO Didn't Know Alice Huang Was a Suspected Spy," and describes Huang as a powerful ally in the AI industry.

The Hill reports that Trump, on Sunday, called Huang an "honorable guy" and said he had not yet spoken to him about the accusations.

Conservative8 outlets

Trump backs Huang as FBI looks into affair

The Washington Examiner leads with Trump saying Huang "is definitely suffering" as the FBI probes the affair, and quotes his sympathy for Huang's family. The Epoch Times headlines the FBI "looking into" Huang and gives space to lawmakers.

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly says "We need to get to the bottom" of it, and Republican Sen. John Curtis says Congress has "a real oversight role." The paper also reports Nvidia shares fell 4.27 percent to $178.67. The New York Post's report describes the woman as a "Chinese honeypot" and recounts Huang's closeness to Trump, including a reported $25 million ballroom donation and Air Force One ride to China.

It quotes a source who says Huang "repeatedly lied" about his relationship with her. The Daily Wire notes Trump called Huang "an honorable guy" on Sunday, and that Huang told Bloomberg last month the relationship was "completely normal."

What a side did not mention
All sources: 57 articles from 30 outlets

Liberal (27)

Center (16)

Conservative (14)

Related
  1. Nvidia board opens probe as CEO Huang admits affair amid Chinese spying reports
  2. Nvidia shares fall after board opens probe into CEO's ties to alleged Chinese spy
  3. Trump says Nvidia CEO didn't know his affair partner was a suspected spyThis story
  4. WIRED: Nvidia CEO hired crisis PR firm before admitting affair with suspected spy
  5. Axios: Commerce Secretary got classified warning on Nvidia CEO's link to suspected spy
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