President Donald Trump praised Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as “an honorable guy” on Sunday, while saying he had not spoken with him about allegations involving a woman suspected by U.S. intelligence of spying for China.
Asked whether he regretted not acting earlier on intelligence about the alleged relationship, Trump said he believed Huang “probably has an excuse for it.” He also described Huang as a fine person and praised his work at Nvidia.
Huang acknowledged to Nvidia’s board that he had been unfaithful to his wife with business executive Alice Huang, according to the Associated Press. U.S. intelligence officials suspect Alice Huang of gathering information for Beijing. The espionage allegation has not been established as fact.
China rejects the spy allegation
Nvidia has been investigating whether Jensen Huang was targeted by an intelligence operation, the Associated Press reported. The company’s inquiry concerns the alleged relationship and the suspicion that the woman was acting on behalf of China.
China rejected claims of a spy plot on Nov. 9, calling them unfounded and a smear campaign, according to the Associated Press. The competing claims leave the alleged espionage unproven.