Trump Outlandishly Demands Intel CEO Tan's Resignation Over Chinese Ties
Many pundits celebrated the hiring of Lip-Bu Tan to replace Intel's ousted chief executive officer (CEO) earlier this year, but if U.S. President Donald Trump has his way, Tan's tenure as the man in charge of one of the biggest semiconductor firms on the planet will be short lived. Over on his Truth Social platform, Trump this morning called for Tan's immediate resignation.
Trump didn't specify exactly why he wants Tan to leave Intel, saying only that he is "highly CONFLICTED and must resign," and that "no other solution to this problem" exists.
"The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for attention to this problem!," the full post reads.
At the time of this writing, the post has over 8,560 'likes' and has been shared on the platform more than 2,130 times. The question is, what exactly is drawing Trump's sudden ire towards Tan, who's been on the job for less than five months? It's his ties to China.
Trump's post comes one day after Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton raised concerns on X about Tan's alleged "deep ties to the Chinese Communists."
The new CEO of @intel reportedly has deep ties to the Chinese Communists. U.S. companies who receive government grants should be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and adhere to strict security regulations. The board of @Intel owes Congress an explanation. pic.twitter.com/3rYhHge6Wa
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) August 6, 2025
Cotton's post includes a letter that he wrote to Intel's Chairman of the Board of Directors expressing concern about the "security and integrity of Intel's operations and its potential impact on U.S. national security." The letter points to Tan's previous stint as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, an electronic design automation and systems analysis company, which last week plead guilty to unlawfully exporting semiconductor design tools to the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), a university in the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the leadership of the PRC's Central Military Commission.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, Cadence Design Systems agreed to pay criminal penalties of nearly $118 million to resolve the charges, along with an additional $95 million in civil penalties.
"Intel was awarded nearly $8 billion from the CHiPS and Science Act, the largest grant to a single company. Intel is required to be a responsible steward of American taxpayer dollars and to comply with applicable security regulations. Mr. Tan's associations raise questions about Intel's ability to fulfill these obligations," Cotton states in his letter.
There's no doubt that this is why Trump is targeting Tan on his social media platform. The U.S. president has been aggressive in trying to get semiconductor firms to invest more on domestic manufacturing, part of which includes high tariffs on imported goods. He's also known for his boisterous rhetoric.
Still, it's a curious demand, and we have serious doubts that Intel will pressure Tan to step down. That said, Intel and/or Tan have yet to issue an official statement.
