Trump Says Huang Told Him He Had 'No Idea' Woman Was a Spy, Stays Vague on When He Knew

Speaking at a White House press briefing, Trump repeatedly declined to say when he was first told about the relationship between Huang and Alice Huang, the woman US officials suspect was working for Beijing. Asked directly, he said he had been "hearing about it, and I've been reading a little bit about it over a period of time. But, not too long ago." Pressed for a date, he said: "We'll look into it," and later, "Oh, I'd have to check."

The question of what the White House knew, and when, matters because Huang leads the world's most valuable chipmaker and has been a central figure in US policy on AI chip sales to China. The New York Times reported in October that Trump had been briefed "roughly a year ago" on intelligence about the relationship, and reported on Sunday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio helped draft a memo on it for administration officials before Trump's visit to China in May.

Asked whether he had read that memo, Trump said he would check with intelligence officials. "It could have been mentioned. Certainly it didn't make much of an impact on me," he said. Asked whether he knew of the alleged ties when he went to China in May, he said: "No, I didn't hear about it then. But a lot of people have heard about it."

Trump said he had called Huang "just to see if he's feeling alright" and had asked him whether he knew the woman was a spy. "He said, I had no idea that she was a spy. And I really believe him," Trump said. He added that he believed Huang was "suffering greatly," particularly because of his family, after reading the statement in which Huang said over the weekend that he had been "unfaithful" to his wife.

The president also made a passing reference to federal law enforcement. "I know the FBI's looking into it in terms of something else," he said, without elaborating on what that inquiry involved.

Trump said he did not plan to bring up Huang's case with Chinese President Xi Jinping when the two meet next week, though he expected Xi might raise it. "No, I don't think so. Maybe, I'm sure, President Xi will ask me about it," he said.

He again praised Huang and Nvidia, calling the chipmaker one of the largest companies in the world by value and describing its Blackwell chip as one that "can't even be copied." "I just hope there's no problem. If there is a problem, we'll let you know about it," Trump said, adding that he was confident Huang "will be in good shape."

Nvidia's board has opened an investigation into Huang's relationship with the woman. The company has not said how long the review will take.