WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump stood by embattled Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, telling reporters he thought Mr. Huang was a “fine person” despite Mr. Huang’s recent admission to having an affair with a woman suspected of being a Chinese spy.
Mr. Trump told reporters before flying back to Washington Sunday night he had not spoken to Mr. Huang about the matter but that he thought he was a “fine person” and “honorable guy.”
“I think he probably has an excuse for it. We’ll have to hear it,” Mr. Trump said, adding that he thinks Mr. Huang should stay on as the head of the chipmaker.
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When asked whether he planned to bring Mr. Huang with him on his trip to Asia next week, Mr. Trump said he would “certainly take him.” He said, “I haven’t heard he’s done anything wrong.”
Nvidia has opened an investigation into reports that Mr. Huang was the “target of a foreign intelligence effort,” the company’s board of directors said Sunday.
The announcement came after the tech executive told the board he had been intimate with a business executive whom U.S. intelligence determined was gathering information for Beijing, The New York Times reported.
SEE ALSO: China dismisses as a smear campaign claims of a spy plot involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
Mr. Huang apologized in a message to the company, according to the outlet. “I was unfaithful to my wife,” he said. “My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”
Nvidia’s board said in a statement it has “no reason to believe that either national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised,” but that its inquiry would examine all available information. Mr. Huang “fully supports the review and has committed to cooperating with it,” the board said.
Mr. Huang, 63, will remain CEO during the investigation.
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