Trump says Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan must ‘resign immediately’

In a dramatic escalation of tensions regarding U.S.-China relations, President Donald Trump has publicly demanded the resignation of Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan. Trump expressed his concerns on his social media platform, Truth Social, labeling Tan as "highly conflicted" and insisting that immediate action is necessary. The President's remarks come without detailed evidence to substantiate his claims of conflicts of interest. This call for resignation follows a letter from Republican Senator Tom Cotton to Intel's board, questioning Tan's connections to China and his investments in the region. Cotton also highlighted Tan's previous role at Cadence Design Systems, which served a customer affiliated with the Chinese military. Since taking charge in March, Tan has been focused on revitalizing Intel, a company that has struggled to keep pace with competitors like Nvidia and AMD in the AI chip market. His strategies have included significant layoffs, halting plans for new manufacturing facilities, and efforts to divest non-core subsidiaries in a bid to steer the company back to its engineering roots. Intel has also been a key player in the Biden administration's CHIPS Act, which aims to invest nearly $8 billion in manufacturing and packaging initiatives across several states, including Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon. The company has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding Trump's statement.