Dem
55
Ties
1
GOP
44
When we wrote about the Nvidia scandal yesterday, CEO Jensen Huang's career looked to be on life support, thanks to his zipper issues. A few hours after we went live, Huang learned his situation was untenable, and resigned before he could be unceremoniously fired. He will be replaced, at least on an interim basis, by chief financial officer Colette Kress. She is not known to have had any clandestine sexual relationships with Chinese spies.
Republicans are hopping mad about the whole situation. Some of them are security hawks and believe that the carelessness of Huang, not to mention the White House, has put a lot of valuable tech in the hands of the bad guys. Others appear to suspect this is going to hurt the GOP with voters. We thought it might be a little too "inside baseball" to interest the general public, but we guess that since it involves spies and sex, it's kind of like a real-life James Bond movie. So, maybe it will hurt the Republicans politically.
Needless to say, when you're hopping mad, you want someone to blame. And the blame is falling on Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who suddenly has an uncomfortable number of Republican fingers pointing at him. This is reminiscent of how Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is getting the blame for the Iran War. In both cases, the blame is not misplaced, per se, but the guy at the top is getting a free pass he does not deserve.
Republicans in both the House and the Senate don't have too much time left when they will be calling the shots, but at least a few of them want to seize what limited opportunity they have to take ownership of the "cleanup" here. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who will lead the Senate Banking Committee for about 6 more weeks, has demanded that both Huang and Lutnick testify before the Committee. Huang has already agreed, and Lutnick is not in a great position to say "no." They undoubtedly will play their cards close to the vest, though it will be good practice for when the Democrats take over, and haul the duo back to the Hill for several more friendly chats.
Meanwhile, the guy at the top has a great idea for Huang's replacement. Yesterday, Trump hopped on his home-of-leaked-intelligence social media platform to declare:
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! President DONALD J. TRUMP
We have three thoughts. First, it's terribly inappropriate for a president to make such suggestions—not that that ever stopped Trump. Second, of course Trump thinks an adulterer who leaks intelligence to anyone who asks is doing a good job—heck, that makes Huang presidential material in TrumpWorld. Third, of course Trump wants Cook, since Cook is a sycophant.
Anyhow, you undoubtedly haven't heard the last of Nvidiapot Dome. (Z)