The Nvidia scandal has reached the Senate.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, on Thursday asked former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify before his panel.
The request came the same day Nvidia announced Huang’s resignation. Huang’s departure ends one of the longest tenures for a founder at a major American company.
What is Tim Scott asking for?
Tim Scott sent letters to both men and announced the request on X. He said recent reports raise serious concerns about national security and the protection of sensitive American technology.
He wrote that the American people deserve answers.
The request adds to pressure from the House, where three committees have asked Huang for a private briefing and Republicans have called for him to testify Nov. 18. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has also pressed the company for answers, and President Donald Trump has said the FBI is looking into the matter.
Why did Jensen Huang resign?
Huang stepped down after admitting on Nov. 8 to an extramarital affair with Alice Huang, who is not related to him and whom U.S. officials reportedly suspect of being a Chinese intelligence asset. She has not been charged and has not publicly responded. China has called the allegations a smear.
Late Wednesday, The New York Times also reported that Huang had an affair with an Nvidia executive who reports to him. wdbo
Huang resigned as president, CEO and board member effective immediately. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO while keeping her current role, and Harvey C. Jones was named the company’s first chair of the board. Cointelegraphsec
Nvidia shares fell 10% in premarket trading Thursday, according to The Associated Press. Huang, 63, cofounded the company and led it for 33 years. Under his leadership, Nvidia became the world’s largest company as demand for its artificial intelligence chips soared. wdbo
Why does Tim Scott want to hear from Lutnick?
Lutnick’s Commerce Department oversees U.S. export controls, and a growing number of lawmakers are questioning whether it properly monitored Nvidia’s sales to China.
Critics object to the administration’s refusal to add dozens of Chinese companies to the Entity List, a trade blacklist. The list has had no additions since October 2025, the longest gap in more than a decade. Lawmakers have also raised concerns about Megaspeed, a Singapore company tied to Alice Huang that has faced scrutiny over claims Nvidia chips reached China.
Companies on the list generally need special licenses to buy American technology. The freeze on new listings comes as the administration pursues trade talks with Beijing, including a planned meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Shenzhen Nov. 18 and 19.
Who is Tim Scott?
Tim Scott is the only Black Republican in the Senate and became the first Black senator from the South since Reconstruction when he was appointed in 2013.
He has led the Banking Committee since 2025, and the panel has jurisdiction over export controls.
The move signals that concern over the scandal crosses party lines. Scott has been a close ally of President Trump.
What happens next?
It was not immediately clear whether Huang or Lutnick would agree to testify before Tim Scott’s committee.
Nvidia is set to report quarterly earnings on Tuesday, Nov. 17, its first since the leadership change. sec
The board will consider internal and external candidates for a permanent CEO. The company praised Huang’s contributions to Nvidia and the industry. pocketgamersec
For Tim Scott and other lawmakers, the focus now shifts to whether U.S. technology was put at risk.
