Daniel Wolfram
Trump was quick to come to the defense of the scandal-ridden tech mogul after he not only had an affair, but did so allegedly with a foreign spy
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang just caused a $4.5 trillion scandal after confessing to an affair in a staff memo.
Federal intelligence officials had already linked the other woman, Chinese executive Alice Huang, to China.
There is also suspicion that the woman may be a Chinese spy after The New York Times reported that the woman had passed along information from the Nvidia CEO back to Beijing.
Nvidia acted quickly to calm investors. The company launched an inquiry, stating the board had “no reason to believe that either national security or NVIDIA secrets were compromised.” A spokesperson added that “today’s news will not slow NVIDIA,” confirming Huang remains the company’s CEO.
Huang offered an apology to his wife. “I was unfaithful to my wife,” he wrote to Nvidia employees. “My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.”
Trump defends Huang
When reporters on an airport tarmac in Florida pressed Donald Trump on the matter, the president offered a surprisingly gentle defense. The two men share close ties. According to Fortune, they have shared private dinners and late phone calls, while Nvidia even helped fund Trump’s White House ballroom.
“I have not spoken to him about it,” Trump told the press. “I just know he’s a fine person, but you never know what’s going on. I hope everything is fine.”
Asked whether he acted on intelligence briefings concerning the Chinese operative, Trump said, “I don’t think so.” He called Huang “an honorable guy,” adding, “I think he probably has an excuse for it. You have to hear it.”
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Huang previously persuaded the administration to relax export sanctions on microchips, giving Washington a 25 percent cut of revenue. Still, the scandal lands uncomfortably close to home.
Trump’s old affairs
Trump knows marital drama firsthand. His marriage to Ivana Trump collapsed after Marla Maples confronted her during a 1989 Aspen holiday. Speaking on The Howard Stern Show in 2004, Trump brushed off the episode, remarking, “Well, mountains are very big, Howard.”
Donald Trump began his affair with Maples in 1989 while still married to Ivana. Their confrontation happened outside a restaurant at the famed ski resort. Donald would later marry Marla in 1993, until their divorce in 1999.
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Years later, hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels from Trump led to 34 felony convictions in New York. Huang faces an uphill battle to protect his company, especially if a Chinese spy is involved.
