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Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, just days after the president publicly called for his resignation over alleged links to Chinese companies, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Tan, who emigrated from Malaysia and later became a U.S. citizen, is expected to use the meeting to detail his personal and professional history, show his commitment to U.S. national security, and outline ways Intel can deepen cooperation with the federal government. The discussion comes as Trump urges major U.S. corporations to increase domestic manufacturing and align more closely with his administration’s economic agenda.
Trump’s criticism followed concerns raised by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., about Tan’s prior connections to Chinese firms and his leadership of Cadence Design Systems. Last week, Cadence agreed to pay $140 million to settle Justice Department allegations over sales to a Chinese military university.
Tan, appointed Intel CEO in March, initially won praise from investors for his turnaround experience in the tech sector. But his tenure has been marked by tensions with some board members over strategy and by political scrutiny of Intel’s operations. The company is the largest recipient of funds from the Biden-era Chips Act, committing $100 billion over five years to expand U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.
The pace of that expansion has drawn criticism, with delays in the construction of two large plants in Ohio fueling frustration among lawmakers. Trump has repeatedly pressed chipmakers to move faster on domestic projects, calling the sector vital to U.S. national security and global competitiveness.
In a message to Intel employees last week, Tan defended his record and said the United States has been his home for more than four decades. “I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards,” he wrote, pledging that the company would continue to support American innovation and safeguard sensitive technology from foreign adversaries.
The White House did not say whether Trump plans to renew his demand for Tan’s resignation during the meeting, though the meeting will mark an important moment for the company’s relationship with the administration.
