Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump on Monday said he had a “very interesting” meeting with the chief of US chip maker Intel, just days after calling for his resignation. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that he met with Lip-Bu Tan along with Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent.
“The meeting was a very interesting one,” Trump said in the post. “His success and rise is an amazing story.” Trump added that members of his cabinet are going to spend time with Tan and bring the president “suggestions” next week.
“Mr. Tan had the honor of meeting with President Trump for a candid and constructive discussion on Intel’s commitment to strengthening US technology and manufacturing leadership,” the company said in a posted statement. Intel added that it looks “forward to working closely with him and his Administration as we restore this great American company.”
Trump demanded last week that the recently-hired boss of Intel resign “immediately,” after a Republican senator raised national security concerns over his links to firms in China. “The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem,” Trump posted on Truth Social last Thursday.
Tan released a statement at the time saying that the company was engaged with the Trump administration to address the concerns raised and ensure officials “have the facts.” Intel is one of Silicon Valley’s most iconic companies but its fortunes have been dwarfed by Asian powerhouses TSMC and Samsung, which dominate the made-to-order semiconductor business.
In a statement, Tan said there has been “a lot of misinformation circulating” about his past roles at Walden International and Cadence Design Systems. “I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards,” Tan said.
The Malaysia-born tech industry veteran took the helm at struggling Intel in March, announcing layoffs as White House tariffs and export restrictions muddied the market. Intel’s niche has been chips used in traditional computing processes, which are steadily being eclipsed by the AI revolution.
© 2024 AFP
