WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has publicly demanded the immediate resignation of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, citing what he calls a significant “conflict of interest” due to Tan’s alleged ties to China. The demand, made via a post on his social media platform, follows a letter from Republican Senator Tom Cotton to Intel’s board raising national security concerns about the CEO’s past business dealings.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump stated, “The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem.” This statement comes a day after Senator Cotton sent a letter to Intel Chairman Frank Yeary, questioning Tan’s financial involvement in Chinese companies, some of which are reportedly linked to the Chinese military. Senator Cotton’s letter also highlighted a criminal case involving Cadence Design Systems, a company where Tan previously served as CEO, which pleaded guilty last month to illegally selling export-controlled technologies to a Chinese military university.
In response to the mounting pressure, Mr. Tan defended his record in a memo to all Intel employees. He dismissed the allegations as “misinformation” and asserted that he has “always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards.” Mr. Tan, who became Intel’s CEO in March, also stated that the company is “engaging with the Administration to address the matters that have been raised and ensure they have the facts.” Despite Tan’s defiant stance, Intel’s stock saw a decline of over 3% following President Trump’s public demand. The controversy is particularly sensitive given that Intel is the largest recipient of subsidies from the CHIPS Act, having secured $8 billion in federal funding to boost domestic chip manufacturing.
It is worth noting that Lip-Bu Tan replaced Pat Gelsinger, who resigned in December 2024 after a tumultuous tenure. Gelsinger’s departure came amid board dissatisfaction with the pace of his turnaround plan for the company, which had been struggling to keep pace with rivals like Nvidia and TSMC.