U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly called for the immediate resignation of Intel CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, pointing to alleged conflicts of interest tied to China.
The accusation, which was posted Thursday on Trump’s social media platform, has left the tech and political sectors in shock, increasing evaluation on one of America’s most strategically important chipmakers.
“The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump offered no specific evidence to back his claim, but his statements come in the wake of some Republican issues on the company.
On Wednesday, Senator Tom Cotton had written to Intel’s board demanding clarity on Tan’s personal and professional ties to Chinese entities.
Cotton’s letter raised red flags about Tan’s leadership at Cadence Design Systems—where tools were reportedly sold to a Chinese military-linked university—and his subsequent investments in Chinese tech firms through his venture capital arm, Walden International.
A Reuters report detailed that Tan had channeled over $200 million into various Chinese companies, with several reportedly linked to the country’s military or national security infrastructure. Cotton has questioned whether such entanglements are compatible with Intel’s receipt of federal funds under the CHIPS and Science Act.
“The new CEO of @intel reportedly has deep ties to the Chinese Communists. U.S. companies who receive government grants should be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and adhere to strict security regulations. The board of @Intel owes Congress an explanation,” Cotton posted on X, attaching his formal letter.
Tan, who assumed the role of CEO in March 2025, has been steering Intel through a major overhaul in the face of stiff competition from Nvidia, AMD, and TSMC.
His tenure has so far involved aggressive cost-cutting: thousands of job losses, cancelled factory expansions, and efforts to offload non-core business units. His stated aim is to restore Intel’s reputation as a leader in chip engineering, a position it has steadily lost over the last decade.
But these leadership decisions now risk being overshadowed by the political fallout. Intel’s strategic importance to U.S. national security is significant. It is the single largest beneficiary under the CHIPS Act, with $8.5 billion earmarked for new manufacturing facilities across Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon.
The controversy around Tan’s alleged links to China could compromise the company’s ability to maintain bipartisan confidence and secure future federal support.
Intel has not yet responded to multiple requests for comment on the matter. Tan himself has remained silent as calls for transparency mount.
Meanwhile, investors are reacting. Intel’s stock fell nearly 5% in premarket trading following Trump’s post, reflecting growing anxiety over potential leadership instability and the political issues surrounding the company.
With Washington increasingly wary of Beijing’s influence in the tech supply chain, the timing of these revelations, whether substantiated or not, puts Intel in an uncomfortable spotlight.
