Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan gets praised by President Trump after White House meeting

US president Donald Trump suddenly had a change of heart over Intel’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan. President Trump now calls him a “success.”

Intel is going through some rough times. In terms of processors, it lags behind its competitor, AMD. In terms of chip production, it cannot compete with TSMC, and it has failed to gain traction in the AI market. To turn the tide, in March 2025, Lip-Bu Tan was appointed to replace Pat Gelsinger as CEO of Intel.

Last week, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) questioned Tan’s past investments and ties to semiconductor firms that are linked to the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army. In addition, prior to his role at Intel, Tan was the CEO of Cadence Design Systems, which recently pleaded guilty to illegally selling export-controlled American technologies to entities connected to the Chinese military.

“The new CEO of Intel reportedly has deep ties to the Chinese Communists. US 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,” Cotton said in a post on X.

President Trump agreed and accused Tan of being “highly conflicted”. Furthermore, he demanded that Tan would resign immediately.

Later that day, Intel issued a statement in which the company, the Board of Directors, and Tan stated that they are “deeply committed to advancing US national and economic security interests and are making significant investments aligned with the President’s America First agenda.”

On Monday, President Trump and Lip-Bu Tan met at the White House. It’s unclear what Tan exactly said, but what we do know is that President Trump suddenly is thrilled to have him as the new CEO of Intel.

“I met with Mr. Lip-Bu Tan, of Intel, along with Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent. The meeting was a very interesting one. His success and rise is an amazing story. Mr. Tan and my Cabinet members are going to spend time together, and bring suggestions to me during the next week,” President Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social on Monday.

For now, it’s unknown what these discussions and expected suggestions entail. Most likely, they have something to do with Intel’s financial position. According to former Intel CEO Craig Barrett, the chip company needs a capital injection of around $40 billion to keep up with market-leading competitors such as TSMC.