Amid escalating tensions with China, President Donald Trump on Thursday demanded that Intel’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, step down, accusing him of conflicts of interest. Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social: “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 did not provide specific evidence or details supporting his accusations against Tan.
The call for resignation follows Republican Senator Tom Cotton’s letter to Intel’s board on Wednesday, which questioned Tan’s alleged connections to China and his investments there. Cotton also raised concerns about Tan’s leadership at Cadence Design Systems, a company that had a Chinese military university as a customer.
Tan’s Leadership at Intel
Tan, who became CEO in March, has focused on improving Intel’s efficiency amid stiff competition from companies like Nvidia and AMD in the AI chip market. Since taking charge, Tan has laid off thousands of employees, halted plans for new manufacturing plants, and is attempting to sell non-core subsidiaries, aiming to return Intel to an engineering-first company.
Intel is a significant player in the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act, which promises nearly $8 billion for manufacturing and packaging projects across states including Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon.
Intel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Author’s Opinion
Public demands for corporate leaders to step down must be supported by transparent evidence to maintain trust and stability in critical industries like semiconductors. Accusations without clear proof risk distracting from the complex challenges companies face, especially in an intensely competitive and geopolitically sensitive market. Leadership decisions should focus on Intel’s performance and strategic direction, while concerns about conflicts of interest warrant thorough, fair investigation rather than public pressure.
Featured image credit: Rubaitul Azad via Unsplash
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