White House weighs ousting Howard Lutnick as Commerce Secretary amid Nvidia controversy: Report

Senior White House officials are discussing whether Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick should leave his post amid growing scrutiny over US exports of advanced Nvidia chips to China, Reuters reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.

The White House previously said President Donald Trump "maintains complete confidence in the secretary and his ability to carry out the position." Several lawmakers have accused the Commerce Department of failing to tighten restrictions on Chinese technology companies.

In June, Reuters reported that the administration had delayed adding DeepSeek, memory chipmaker CXMT and more than 100 other companies to a US trade blacklist. Republican Senator John Kennedy said he was not yet certain whether Lutnick should lose his job but insisted that the secretary must answer questions before Congress.

Senator Elizabeth Warren also called on Lutnick and other officials to explain why export control loopholes remained open. She and Democratic Senator Chris Coons urged the administration to preserve documents concerning Nvidia's chip exports to China.

Democratic lawmakers Ron Wyden and Richard Neal have separately launched an inquiry into the administration's approval of Nvidia's advanced AI chip sales to Chinese companies. They raised concerns about buyers with alleged links to China's government, military and sanctioned entities.

The lawmakers also questioned Trump's reported decision in December 2025 to allow Nvidia to sell its H200 chips to China in exchange for a share of the export revenue, describing the arrangement as "an unconstitutional export tax." Meanwhile, Republican Senator Tom Cotton urged Lutnick to block Chinese chipmaker CXMT from accessing the US market and American technology.

Sehjal Gupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times and is part of the US Desk. She covers a wide range of stories from the United States, including politics, sports, entertainment, breaking news, and major global developments.

She enjoys working across different beats because every story brings a fresh perspective and an opportunity to explore something different. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sehjal was part of The Times of India, where she headed the International Sports and US Streamers team.

She reported on international sports, athlete stories, streamer news, and major developments from around the world. The role gave her the opportunity to work on a diverse range of stories while leading coverage across two evolving news categories.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and believes the experience taught her the importance of staying organised, managing priorities, and adapting to new challenges. Over the years, she has reported on a variety of topics and enjoys taking on stories that keep her curious and encourage her to look beyond the obvious.

Expertise: International news, International/US sports, and streamer coverage. Interests: Global affairs, geopolitics, politics, and entertainment. Outside work, Sehjal loves travelling, watching movies, and exploring new places to eat.

She enjoys discovering new cultures and believes that some of the best stories and experiences come from stepping outside her comfort zone and exploring unfamiliar places.Read More