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Thursday, November 12, 2026
Repercussions of the Jensen Huang spy scandal, and how Donald Trump and his administration handled it, have forced Republican members of Congress to view the White House with more skepticism, at a time when Republican intraparty relations are already frayed. The story is a perfect storm of GOP animus: tech oligarchs, AI, alleged corporate corruption, and Trump playing footsie with the Chinese Communist Party. Remember when the president addressed the nation alleging proof that China interfered in 2020? Yeah, that’s been memory-holed for some bizarre reason. Meanwhile, the blue tsunami wave grew last night to officially take a Senate seat from deep-red Mississippi, the White House went full bunker mentality, and Pete Hegseth accomplished the impossible: he became even more unpopular after a sentry at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier chided him and his entourage for disrespecting a solemn memorial with laughter. Come on, people.
01. Republicans’ Split With Trump Widens as the Huang Spy Scandal Reaches His Cabinet
[Gaining Traction]. Trump stood by Nvidia’s CEO. Now Republicans in Congress want him gone and Trump’s Commerce secretary to testify.
President Trump called Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang “a very honorable man” on Monday, after reports tied Huang to a suspected Chinese spy. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said Wednesday on CNBC that Huang is “so vulnerable to extortion, to blackmail,” and added, “I can’t believe we are even considering him not resigning.” Representative Marlin Stutzman of Indiana said on CNN Thursday morning that Huang should “step aside.” Nvidia’s board discussed his future Wednesday night and hadn’t announced a decision by morning.
The growing scandal reached Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose department polices chip sales to China. Trump reportedly approved a crackdown last week on companies suspected of diverting Nvidia chips to China, and Lutnick repeatedly stalled it, per Axios. Politico counted more than half a dozen Republicans who want Lutnick or his deputies to explain themselves.
Representative Bill Huizenga of Michigan said Lutnick hasn’t “been very responsive.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Lutnick in the White House Situation Room, according to a CNN report that a Commerce spokesperson denied to Fox News. On Fox & Friends, Brian Kilmeade said Lutnick favors selling the chips to China, “much to the chagrin of Scott Bessent.”
TAKEAWAY: Republicans in Congress read the same midterm exit polls that everyone else has seen, and this story hits a lot of the notes underlying the blue tsunami: corruption, tech oligarchs, and AI. The GOP can ill-afford to look the other way, especially when a lame duck Trump appears to be far weaker politically after voters heard him and acted like he was on the ballot.