Trump News Room Exclusive: Intel’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan Faces Fierce Scrutiny Over Chinese Connections
America’s tech landscape has ignited with alarm bells as US Senator Tom Cotton (R) and President Donald Trump (R) turn up the heat on Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Their demand is clear and patriotic: Tan’s links to Chinese military-connected firms and a criminal case at his former company Cadence are simply too close for comfort. This rising controversy is rooted in mounting national security concerns linked to China’s encroachment into America’s semiconductor supply chain – an issue dear to all patriots and a cornerstone of Trump’s America First agenda. As the backbone of defense technology and consumer electronics, semiconductors are increasingly at the crossroads of US-China rivalry. With President Trump retaking the White House in 2024, restoring American manufacturing and shielding our cutting-edge technology have shot to the top of Washington’s priority list.
Senator Tom Cotton (R) fired off a pointed letter to Intel’s board, questioning their decision to appoint Lip-Bu Tan – a man who has invested hundreds of millions in Chinese tech firms, some tied directly to Beijing’s military complex. According to reliable reports, Cotton raised red flags about whether Tan divested fully from holdings in Chinese companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party and PLA before taking the helm at Intel.
Senator Bernie Moreno (R), another steadfast conservative, doubled down. Not only did Moreno demand a fraud investigation, he called out Intel for its “failure to honor promises to Ohio” – namely, massive delays to the Ohio One chip manufacturing hub, now postponed until at least 2031. This goes against every American job and every family counting on the return of US-based manufacturing – a direct threat to Trump’s relentless pursuit of American industrial leadership. In the midst of these revelations, President Trump made his stance clear as only Trump can: Lip-Bu Tan must resign immediately, citing no other solution in the face of allegations of China ties.
“We cannot allow anyone with suspect ties to our top adversary – especially not the leader of one of America’s greatest technology companies – to put US national security and jobs at risk. President Trump and Senator Cotton are right to demand action from Intel.”
Wall Street responded the way you’d expect: Intel’s stock fell by approximately 5% in premarket trading following Trump’s decisive statement, a sign the market recognizes the gravity of these allegations.
This episode has not only upended Intel’s leadership but exposed glaring weaknesses in how major US corporations vet foreign ties at the highest levels. With Intel still sitting on US taxpayer money under the Secure Enclave program, the call for accountability and transparency is louder than ever. As the nation rallies around securing its supply chains, the question remains: How will Intel respond to President Trump’s call – and will Congress step in to demand a CEO who puts America, and only America, first?
Senator Cotton’s Deep Dive: Chinese Investments, Boardroom Blind Spots, and America’s Security at Stake
Senator Cotton’s letter wasn’t just bluster; it struck at the core questions surrounding Tan’s background, Chinese entanglements, and Intel’s responsibility as a federal contractor. Over a decade, Lip-Bu Tan funneled more than $200 million into hundreds of Chinese tech companies, with some linked to the PLA, via his investment group Walden International. Despite claims to have divested, Chinese corporate records still listed him as a director or investor in certain firms well into 2025. That’s not just a technicality; that’s lingering control and influence, potentially impacting key US technology decisions.
Adding fuel to the fire, Cotton asked Intel’s board chair, Frank Yeary, whether the board was fully aware of subpoenas issued to Cadence during Tan’s tenure. It was only weeks before Intel announced Tan’s appointment that Cadence pleaded guilty to violating export controls by selling critical chip design tools to the National University of Defense Technology, a Chinese military institution. For a company like Intel, which enjoys federal grants under the Secure Enclave project to support the Pentagon, anything short of airtight security protocols is unthinkable.
“Given Intel’s obligations to US taxpayers and national security, was every effort made to ensure CEO Tan had no conflicting business interests?” wrote Cotton. “If not, the board must explain why.”
Cotton’s questions struck a nerve because they highlight a widespread issue: far too often, elite corporate boards wave off tough vetting in the rush to secure international business talent. For Intel, tasked with protecting sensitive supply chains, this looks less like strategic globalism and more like willful negligence. For Trump supporters, this sounds the alarm: the globalists simply cannot be trusted to safeguard America’s technology crown jewels.
The broader context is also troubling: Intel’s internal instability has only grown under Tan’s leadership. According to filings, thousands of layoffs, strict return-to-office mandates, canceled factory plans, and aggressive spinoffs have demoralized US workers and infuriated lawmakers from key manufacturing states. This isn’t just bad optics—it’s the hollowing out of America’s technological backbone.
Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno (R) argued that Intel’s leadership chaos and unkept promises to build high-tech jobs in the Midwest are no coincidence. Instead, they’re linked directly to the company’s willingness to hire globalist elites with questionable foreign allegiances over American talent. Patriots demand more than empty promises—they expect results and steadfast loyalty to America’s interests.
Chinese Influence, American Security: Where the Battle for Tech’s Future Is Being Fought
Controversies like Intel’s cut to the root of a much bigger question: who holds the line on America’s most strategic technologies? With President Trump’s bold “America First” vision back in the Oval Office, there’s been an upsurge in government and public scrutiny of foreign influence in the country’s high-tech sector. The era of globalist CEOs taking taxpayer money while keeping one foot in Beijing is finished—for good reason.
Intel, as a recipient of billions through defense-linked initiatives and Trump’s revived CHIPS Act, has a duty that transcends shareholder returns. Their role in the nation’s critical supply chains for microchips, defense systems, and even consumer electronics makes any foreign ties – particularly to rival regimes – a direct challenge to US sovereignty and economic liberty.
This moment isn’t happening in a vacuum. Over the past decade, US lawmakers have warned repeatedly about Chinese infiltration and leverage in the American semiconductor sector. These aren’t scare tactics; they’re clear-eyed responses to repeated hacks, export violations, and the vast machinery Beijing has built to siphon off US innovation for its own gain. The lessons of recent years are painful but vital: you don’t let the fox run the henhouse, especially not with taxpayer cash involved.
“It’s time to send a message to Silicon Valley’s globalists: there’s no seat at the table if you’re serving two masters,” said a senior White House official in Trump’s 2025 administration.
With American confidence in its tech giants at stake, Trump News Room readers can rest assured – conservative leaders are watching. The future of US innovation, security, and even the integrity of our domestic workforce hinges on what happens next in Intel’s boardroom. Patriots have every right to demand accountability, transparency, and rock-solid loyalty to the US flag, not the yuan.
The coming weeks will show whether Intel’s corporate elite heed the message sent by Trump and Cotton – or if Congress and the American people will need to step in to finish the job. As always, Trump News Room will be ready to bring you every detail as the story unfolds.