Who is Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan — and why is Donald Trump demanding his resignation?

Trump demands Intel CEO resignation: Intel’s newly appointed CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, finds himself at the center of a growing political firestorm, with US president Donald Trump now demanding his immediate resignation over alleged ties to China, as per a report.

Donald Trump Demands Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan Resign Over Alleged China Ties

Trump called for Tan to step down in a sharply worded post on Truth Social Thursday, claiming he is “highly conflicted”, and a senator suggested that Tan’s reported connections to Chinese tech firms, some allegedly linked to China’s military, pose a threat to US national security, as per an NBC News report.

Trump Threatens 100% Tariff on Imported Chips

The US president also wrote, “There is no other solution to this problem,” escalating his recent campaign to reshape the US semiconductor industry amid broader trade tensions and fears about foreign influence in critical tech, according to the report.


On Wednesday, Trump threatened, saying that he would hit imported computer chips with a 100% tariff unless companies are making them, or plan to make them, in the United States, as reported by NBC News.

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Who Is Lip-Bu Tan? Intel’s New CEO Under Political Fire

Tan officially became CEO of Intel in March 2025, after years leading Cadence Design Systems, a software company headquartered in California from 2009 to 2021, according to the report.

He took over as the CEO after Intel’s previous CEO, Patrick Gelsinger, was removed from the position in late 2024, as per the report. Gelsinger had struggled to reverse the company’s declining market position against rivals like Nvidia, AMD, and Taiwan Semiconductor, according to the NBC News report. Though he championed massive investments in US-based chip factories, Intel’s debt load and slow progress undercut those efforts, as per the report.

But Tan’s international business background, especially his investments in China, is now drawing criticism from Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators, as per the NBC News report.

ALSO READ: Intel stock falls after Donald Trump calls for CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign over China ties

Senator Tom Cotton Questions Intel CEO’s Links to Chinese Tech Firms

Trump's demand comes after Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) sent a formal letter to Intel’s board chairman, Frank Yeary, raising national security concerns about Tan’s business ties in China, according to the report.

The letter claims that Tan “reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms. At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army,” as quoted by the NBC News report.

Cotton questioned whether Intel had required Tan to “divest from his positions in semiconductor firms linked to the Chinese Communist Party or the People’s Liberation Army and any other concerning entities in China that could pose a conflict of interest?” as quoted in the report.

The senator’s letter even highlighted a recent Reuters report that said Tan “has invested in hundreds of Chinese tech firms, including at least eight with links to the People’s Liberation Army, according to a Reuters review of Chinese and U.S. corporate filings," as quoted by NBC News.

Intel’s Market Value Lags Behind Competitors

Intel’s current market value hovers around $90 billion, well below its biggest rivals, according to the NBC News report. On Thursday, Intel’s stock fell more than 2%, wiping out its year-to-date gains and lagging behind the broader S&P 500, as per the report.

FAQs

Why is Donald Trump calling for Intel CEO’s resignation?
Trump claims Tan has deep financial ties to Chinese tech firms, which he says creates a national security conflict.

Will Tan be forced to resign?
That remains unclear. No official action has been taken by Intel’s board at this time.