IntelDonald Trump called for the chipmaker’s CEO to step down.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Intel Chief Executive Lip-Bu Tan “is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem.”
Intel said in a comment later Thursday that the company, directors and Tan are “deeply committed to advancing U.S. national and economic security interests.”
“We are continuing to invest billions of dollars in domestic semiconductor R&D and manufacturing, including our new fab in Arizona that will run the most advanced manufacturing process technology in the country, and are the only company investing in leading logic process node development in the U.S.,” the statement said.
Tan was named as Intel CEO in March as the company tried to rebound from declining sales under the stewardship of Pat Gelsinger.
This week, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., questioned Tan’s ties to Chinese companies and referenced a past criminal case involving Cadence Design
Cotton wrote to Intel’s chair to “express concern about the security and integrity of Intel’s operations and its potential impact on U.S. national security.”
“Intel is required to be a responsible steward of American taxpayer dollars and to comply with applicable security regulations,” Cotton wrote. “Mr. Tan’s associations raise questions about Intel’s ability to fulfill these obligations.”
Cotton asked whether the company required Tan to divest from positions in chipmakers linked to the Chinese Communist Party, the People’s Liberation Army and any other concerning entities in China.
Tan has invested in a number of Chinese companies, including some linked to the country’s military, both directly or through venture funds, Reuters reported in April.
Intel beat revenue expectations when it reported financials for the second quarter in July, but announced several spending cuts.
In a memo, Tan announced cuts to the company’s costly foundry division, which makes chips for other companies and had an operating loss of $3.17 billion.
The company canceled planned fab projects in Germany and Poland, and consolidated testing and assembly operations in Vietnam and Malaysia. Tan also said Intel would slow construction of a chip factory in Ohio.
— CNBC’s Kif Leswing and Chris Eudaily contributed to this article.
Correction: Intel beat revenue expectations when it reported financials for the second quarter. An earlier version misstated the metric.
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