United States President Donald Trump has called for the immediate resignation of Lip-Bu Tan, the new CEO of Intel, one of America’s biggest computer chip makers.
The demand came after a top Republican senator raised concerns about Tan’s alleged links to Chinese companies and national security risks.
“The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The controversy started after Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican, wrote a public letter to Intel. In the letter, Cotton claimed that Tan has business connections to dozens of Chinese tech firms, including some that allegedly have ties to the Chinese military.
Cotton also pointed to Tan’s past leadership at Cadence Design Systems, a US software company. He said Cadence had illegally sold software to a Chinese military university and transferred sensitive technology to a Chinese semiconductor company without proper licenses during Tan’s time there.
In response, Lip-Bu Tan issued a statement saying the claims are misleading and based on misinformation. He said he has always followed legal and ethical standards in all his work across the tech industry.
“Over the past 40 years, I’ve worked with companies across the world while strictly following the law,” he said.
“The United States has been my home for over 40 years, and I am deeply thankful for the opportunities it has given me.”
Tan added that he is fully committed to US national and economic security and proud to lead Intel during this challenging time.
Tan became CEO of Intel in March 2025. Since then, the company has struggled to compete in the fast-changing chip market, especially as rivals like Nvidia, TSMC, and Samsung lead in AI and advanced chip technologies.
Tan has already announced layoffs and said that turning the company around will not be easy. Intel, once the leader in computer chips, has fallen behind as demand shifts from traditional computing to artificial intelligence (AI).
It’s still unclear if Tan will step down or whether the US government will launch a formal investigation. Intel has said it is working with the Trump administration to explain the facts and clear up the concerns.
The situation comes as the US continues to be cautious about Chinese influence in key industries like semiconductors, which are critical for military, economic, and digital infrastructure.
Background:
Lip-Bu Tan is a tech industry veteran originally from Malaysia.
He is known for investing in tech firms through his firm Walden International.
His appointment was seen as a bold move to help Intel regain its place in the global chip race.
