US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has not been fired, but his job is now openly in question. Senior White House officials are discussing whether he should be pushed out over the Nvidia spy scandal, two people familiar with the talks told Reuters on Thursday, November 12, 2026, even as a White House official said President Donald Trump "maintains complete confidence" in him.[1][2][4] Late on Thursday the Republican chair of the Senate Banking Committee, Tim Scott, asked both Lutnick and Nvidia's former chief executive Jensen Huang to testify, and Lutnick has agreed: his spokesperson said he will appear voluntarily, with Scott proposing December 10 for him and December 3 for Huang.[8][9][10][11][12]
 | |
| Who | Howard Lutnick, US Secretary of Commerce since 2025[1][6] |
|---|---|
| Background | Wall Street veteran, co-chair of Trump's transition team, friends with Trump for three decades[1] |
| The issue | Whether Commerce did enough to stop advanced Nvidia chips reaching China[1][3] |
| White House line | Trump "maintains complete confidence" in him (official, Nov 12)[1][4] |
| Reported | Officials discussing whether to push him out (Reuters, 2 sources)[1][2] |
| Testimony asks | Senate Banking chair Tim Scott; Senators Jim Banks, John Kennedy[3][5][8] |
| Hearing dates | Lutnick agreed to testify; Scott proposed Dec 10 (Lutnick) and Dec 3 (Huang)[10][11] |
| Records deadline | November 17 (Warren and Coons letter)[7] |
| Status | Still in office; no formal accusation of wrongdoing[6] |
What happened on November 12
Thursday started with Jensen Huang's resignation as Nvidia's chief executive, after reports of an affair with an executive of Megaspeed, a Singapore company that US authorities suspect of links to Chinese intelligence.[1][3] We covered that in Jensen Huang resigns as Nvidia CEO.
Within hours the focus moved to Washington. A White House official told CNN that Trump "maintains complete confidence in the secretary and his ability to carry out the position as the most transformative commerce secretary in modern history".[3][4] Then, in the afternoon, Reuters reported that senior White House officials were discussing whether Lutnick should be pushed out, citing two people familiar with the situation.[1][2] France 24 and The Independent carried the same report.[2][9]
Neither the White House nor the Commerce Department responded to Reuters after that report.[1] So both things are true at once: the official line is full support, and behind it there is a live debate about whether he stays.
Why Lutnick is in trouble
The criticism is not about Huang's private life. It is about export controls, the rules that decide which foreign companies can buy American technology. The Commerce Department runs the main blacklist, known as the Entity List.[1][3]
Reuters reported in June that the administration had held off adding the Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek, memory chipmaker CXMT and more than 100 other companies flagged as national security risks. No company has been added to the list since October 2025, which Reuters says is the longest gap in more than a decade.[1][9]
Then came the Megaspeed reports. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Commerce did not act against Megaspeed, and Axios reported that Lutnick stalled a crackdown on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia chips to China.[1][3] According to Politico, as summarised by The New Republic, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticised Lutnick in a White House meeting the previous week for not acting sooner on Megaspeed.[5] Megaspeed has bought more than $4.8 billion of advanced Nvidia AI chips since June 2024, according to Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Coons.[1][7]
Lawmakers are also looking again at Trump's decision in December 2025 to let Nvidia sell its H200 chips to China in exchange for a cut of the sales. Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Richard Neal called that "an unconstitutional export tax" in a letter to Lutnick on Thursday.[1]
Who is calling for answers
What makes this different from earlier rows is that Republicans are joining in. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana told Politico that Lutnick "needs to answer that in front of God and country".[1][5] Senator Jim Banks told Fox News he wanted Lutnick to "testify ASAP before the Senate banking committee", and The National reports that Senator Thom Tillis has also called for testimony.[3] Tom Cotton, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, urged Lutnick to bar CXMT from the US market.[1][3]
Late on Thursday, Senate Banking chair Tim Scott sent letters to Lutnick and Jensen Huang. "Recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive US technology," Scott wrote on X, according to Reuters.[8]
Not every Republican is against him. Representative Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Congress should look at how Commerce approves chip exports but added that he has confidence in Lutnick.[1]
Democrats are going further. Warren, who is due to chair the Banking Committee from January, said Lutnick and Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler "must explain why they have not closed export control loopholes".[1][3] Representative Ted Lieu told Fox News Digital that Lutnick "needs to be investigated".[6]
Will Lutnick be fired?
Nobody outside the White House knows yet. Cabinet secretaries serve at the president's pleasure, so the decision is Trump's alone, and the only on-the-record statement so far is the one backing Lutnick.[1][4] The talk of an exit comes from two unnamed sources, and a discussion is not a decision.
Some facts point to him staying for now. Lutnick has been friends with Trump for about thirty years and co-chaired his transition team.[1] Fox News Digital notes that neither Lutnick nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been formally accused of wrongdoing in the Nvidia case.[6]
Others point the other way. The criticism now comes from Republican senators as well as Democrats, Treasury's top official has reportedly clashed with him, and Democrats will control both chambers of Congress from January, which gives them subpoena power and committee chairs.[3][5][6]
What happens next
Lutnick agrees to testify on December 10
Hours after Scott's letters went out, Lutnick's office said yes. "Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the Banking Committee to address their questions," spokesperson Kristen Eichamer told NBC News.[10][11][12] Scott asked Huang to appear on December 3 and Lutnick on December 10, and he wants Lutnick's session to be a public hearing on the Nvidia reports and the Commerce Department's role in export controls.[10][11]
Pressure came from both parties. Democrat Richard Blumenthal said Lutnick might need to be subpoenaed if he did not come voluntarily, while Republicans Jim Banks and Kevin Cramer said he should testify soon.[10] Agreeing to appear does not settle the separate question of whether he keeps his job, which the White House still says he does.[10][12]
Warren and Coons wrote to Lutnick, Rubio and White House chief of staff Stephen Miller on Wednesday night, telling them to preserve every record about Nvidia's chip exports to China and to "confirm in writing by November 17" that they have done so.[7]
Nvidia is due to report quarterly results next week, its first since Huang left.[3] House Foreign Affairs chair Brian Mast has said Huang will testify before Congress this month.[3] For the market side of the story, see Nvidia stock and the Huang spy probe.
Frequently asked questions
Has Howard Lutnick been fired?
No. As of early November 13, 2026, he is still Commerce Secretary. Reuters reported that officials are discussing his future, while a White House official said Trump has complete confidence in him.[1][4]
Why is Lutnick linked to the Nvidia scandal?
His department controls which foreign companies can buy US chips. Critics say it failed to act against Megaspeed and to add Chinese firms such as CXMT and DeepSeek to the Entity List.[1][3]
Will Lutnick testify before Congress?
Yes. His spokesperson, Kristen Eichamer, told NBC News that he "has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the Banking Committee." Tim Scott's letter asked for a public hearing on December 10.[10][11][12]
Is Lutnick accused of a crime?
No. He has not been formally accused or charged with any wrongdoing in connection with the Nvidia case.[6]
References
- "White House weighs Commerce Secretary Lutnick's ouster amid Nvidia export concerns, sources say". Reuters (via KWSN). November 12, 2026. kwsn.com
- "White House reportedly discussing Howard Lutnick's future as Commerce secretary". France 24. November 12, 2026. france24.com
- "Howard Lutnick under scrutiny as Jensen Huang leaves Nvidia". The National. November 12, 2026. thenationalnews.com
- "'President maintains complete confidence in him': White House official on commerce secy Lutnick amid Nvidia spy scandal". The Times of India. November 12, 2026. timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- "Republicans Turn Against Howard Lutnick as Nvidia Chips Scandal Grows". The New Republic. November 12, 2026. newrepublic.com
- "Howard Lutnick is next Trump official top Dems want on the chopping block amid NVIDIA scandal". Fox News. November 12, 2026. foxnews.com
- "Senators Warren and Coons Direct Lutnick, Rubio and Miller to Preserve NVIDIA Records Following Reports of Foreign Intelligence Operation Targeting CEO Jensen Huang". US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. November 11, 2026. banking.senate.gov
- "US Senate Banking Committee chair calls on Jensen Huang, Lutnick to testify". Reuters (via Central Oregon Daily). November 12, 2026. centraloregondaily.com
- "Trump team mulling Lutnick's future as commerce secretary, report says". The Independent. November 12, 2026. independent.co.uk
- "Howard Lutnick agrees to testify as bipartisan pressure grows over Nvidia scandal". NBC News. November 13, 2026. nbcnews.com
- "Lutnick agrees to testify in front of Senate Banking Committee over Nvidia concerns". Just the News. November 12, 2026. justthenews.com
- "U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick to testify before Congress on Nvidia: US media". The Hindu (AFP). November 13, 2026. thehindu.com