President Donald Trump stopped short of fully backing Nvidia co-founder and chief executive Jensen Huang, an influential adviser on technology, after a report that U.S. intelligence officials suspected he had been the target of a Chinese spy plot.
Asked Saturday whether he still had confidence in Huang as an adviser on U.S. technology policy, Trump said: “I would like to say yes. I mean, unless we find out something to the contrary.”
“I’ve always found Jensen Huang to be very aboveboard,” he said. “But you know, you’re dealing in a very complex issue.”
Trump said he was unaware of the specifics of the intelligence concerns but repeatedly expressed hope that Huang, whose company’s advanced computer chips have made it the world’s most valuable firm, would be cleared of any suspicion.
“We hope everything’s okay with Jensen,” Trump added. “We’ll check it out. We’re going to check it out very closely.”
Speaking to reporters at his annual Halloween party, Trump called Huang a “great” and “brilliant” person. “When it comes to chips, there’s never been anyone like him,” he added. He was surrounded by guests at the lavish jungle-themed event, which was held at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The remarks followed a New York Times report that Trump had been briefed roughly a year ago on intelligence involving Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman suspected of providing information to Beijing. The Times reported that according to U.S. intelligence findings, Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, had developed a close relationship with Jensen Huang and had been giving Beijing information that may have included insights gleaned from Nvidia about U.S. technology. Nvidia has disputed the characterization of the relationship.
According to the report, Trump did not act on the findings at the time.
Jensen Huang has developed a close relationship with Trump. In May, he traveled with the president to China for a state visit, joining Air Force One at the last minute after reports emerged that he had been excluded from the delegation. He hopped aboard Air Force One during a refueling stop in Alaska.
Huang is also a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, a panel of tech leaders appointed by Trump to advise on artificial intelligence policy, emerging technologies and related matters.
The president has been traveling across the country hosting near-daily rallies in a bid to boost Republicans’ midterms prospects, and on Saturday he hosted a battery of tele-rallies. He will host back-to-back events in Iowa and Kansas on Sunday.
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