US President Donald Trump on Thursday backed former Apple CEO Tim Cook as a possible successor to Jensen Huang at Nvidia after Huang resigned from the chipmaker, with the company facing an independent investigation into reports of a foreign intelligence operation targeting him. The proposal came after Nvidia announced Huang's departure from the company.
Trump made his recommendation in a post on Truth Social, where he praised Huang before endorsing Cook. “Now that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there is only one man to take his place – Tim Cook of Apple. A Legend replaces a Legend!” he wrote.
In an interview with sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, Trump repeated his support for Cook and described Huang as a “tremendous talent” who would be difficult to replace. “I think Tim Cook would be a great candidate to run Nvidia,” he said, praising the former Apple chief executive for building Apple into one of the world's leading technology firms.
Nvidia said Huang had stepped down as president, chief executive officer and board member with immediate effect. The company appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO and said it would assess both internal and external candidates for the permanent position.
Kress, who joined Nvidia in 2013, is expected to retain her financial duties while managing operations during the transition. Huang's departure ended a 33-year leadership period at the semiconductor company, while Nvidia has not publicly explained the circumstances behind his resignation.
The resignation came amid an independent investigation into reports that Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation, according to Nvidia. Its board had previously expressed confidence in Huang and said it had no reason to believe that US national security or company secrets had been compromised.
Huang is facing growing scrutiny from US lawmakers over an alleged Chinese espionage operation, while AFP reported that his departure followed revelations of two affairs, including one involving an alleged Chinese spy. Trump addressed allegations that Huang had been involved with a woman suspected of being a Chinese intelligence operative, saying the question of whether she was a spy remained unresolved.
“Well, the big thing is, was the woman spy? And I don't know if that's been determined yet. But if the woman was a spy, yes. If the woman was not a spy, perhaps it would be different,” he said. Trump said he had spoken with Huang on Wednesday and that the former Nvidia chief executive was most distressed by the effect of the controversy on his family.
“I spoke to him yesterday. He's going through hell. What he feels most badly about is his wife and family,” he said, adding that Huang had personally raised those concerns during their conversation. Trump had urged Huang to fight to keep his position during a Tuesday phone call before the resignation, The New York Times reported, citing two people briefed on the conversation.
The New York Times reported that Trump had been warned at least twice about Huang's relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen whom US intelligence agencies reportedly assessed had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security. The newspaper said Trump viewed Nvidia as crucial to the US economy and his administration's ambitions to dominate artificial intelligence, and feared Huang's departure could trigger a sharp stock market decline.
The report said Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Trump about the allegations aboard Air Force One in May, shortly before Trump picked up Huang in Alaska for the flight to Beijing. AFP reported that Trump had no formal say over who would lead Nvidia, which it described as being at the center of the artificial intelligence revolution, while his intervention reflected his close ties to Huang and Cook.
During his second presidency, Trump treated Nvidia co-founder Huang as a close adviser and brought him aboard Air Force One for a state visit to China in May. AFP said Trump defended Huang after allegations about his ties to Chinese businesswoman Alice Huang, said he had no idea she was allegedly spying for Beijing, and described Jensen Huang, who is not related to Alice Huang, as “suffering greatly” and “an amazing guy.”
Cook stood down as Apple's CEO in September but remains executive chair of its board of directors, according to AFP. In August 2025, he appeared with Trump in the Oval Office to announce that Apple would increase its investments in the United States to $600 billion, as Trump threatened huge tariffs on technology products made abroad.
Cook brought Trump a custom-engraved glass piece made by iPhone glassmaker Corning and set in a 24-karat gold base. AFP reported that the gift helped smooth relations after Trump had repeatedly criticized Apple for not manufacturing its iPhones in the United States, while Cook accompanied Trump to China in May and joined Huang at a White House state banquet for Xi in September.
Rep. Brian Mast, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Hill website that Huang had agreed to participate in a closed-door congressional briefing on potential threats to US national security. Lawmakers are still determining the date and the participants, while Mast said the session would likely be held under oath with its proceedings transcribed and video recorded.
Foreign affairs, intelligence and the House Select Committee on China are expected to take part. The request followed a letter from Mast and the Republican chairs of the other two committees, sent the previous week, asking Huang to respond by Nov. 11 in the latest Anadolu Agency account; an earlier agency account gave Nov. 1 as the deadline.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said congressional Democrats were seeking answers about Nvidia and called for a classified briefing for members of Congress over possible national security implications. He told reporters that congressman Greg Meeks, who is set to become chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and congressman Jim Himes, the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, were leading the investigation.
“There certainly are more questions than answers,” Jeffries said. He noted that lawmakers had received a classified briefing earlier in the week, but said it had focused mainly on developments involving Iran rather than Nvidia.
“We need a classified briefing made available to members of Congress as it relates to the Nvidia situation and to the extent that our national security has been compromised. The American people deserve answers, and we're going to work to make sure that happens,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Congress must continue demanding answers from Nvidia and the Trump administration regarding the allegations, warning of potential national security risks. He called on the administration to explain what steps it took after learning about Huang's alleged relationship.
“Despite Jensen Huang’s resignation, Congress must demand answers from Mr. Huang and others at Nvidia about how they may have put U.S. national security at risk,” Schumer wrote on the US social media platform X. He added: “What did Trump know when he personally invited Mr. Huang aboard Air Force One? Americans deserve to know that those at the highest levels of power are putting America first, not their bottom line or their personal friendships,”
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