On August 11, U.S. President Donald Trump met at the White House with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, marking a dramatic reversal from his sharp criticism just days earlier. On August 7, Trump had taken to his Truth Social platform to demand Tan's resignation, citing alleged conflicts of interest over past ties to Chinese companies. The criticism echoed concerns raised by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who questioned Tan's prior leadership at EDA giant Cadence—which had been linked to an intellectual property leak—and his holdings in chipmakers with military-linked Chinese partners.

Intel swiftly responded at the time, affirming that both the company and Tan remain firmly committed to protecting U.S. national and economic security. Tan also issued a public letter expressing his dedication to the United States, where he has lived for more than four decades, and rejecting what he called “misinformation” about his professional history, stressing he has “always adhered to the highest legal and ethical standards.”

The August 11 meeting included Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. In a follow-up post, Trump described the discussion as “very productive” and praised Tan's career as “an amazing story.” He said Tan would work with cabinet members on key issues and provide recommendations within a week.

Intel confirmed the meeting, saying Tan was honored to discuss the company's role in bolstering U.S. leadership in technology and manufacturing. News of the exchange sent Intel shares up 2% in after-hours trading, adding to a 3.51% gain during the regular session and bringing the stock's 2025 year-to-date rise to 3%, compared with an 8.4% gain in the S&P 500.

Tan, 65, joined Intel's board in 2022 and became CEO in March 2025, succeeding Pat Gelsinger amid challenging conditions. Intel had been losing ground in the AI market to Nvidia while burning significant cash to expand its foundry business. Since taking over, Tan has implemented layoffs, reduced foundry spending, canceled planned plants in Germany and Poland, and slowed development of a facility in Ohio, warning investors that a turnaround would take “time and patience.”

The Trump administration has maintained an assertive stance toward the semiconductor industry amid the U.S.–China race for AI dominance. In a separate development, Nvidia and AMD recently agreed to remit 15% of their China sales from specific AI chips to the U.S. federal government in exchange for export licenses.