Senators Warren and Coons Demand Trump Administration Preserve Nvidia Records in China Chip Probe
Two senior Democratic senators have told the Trump administration to preserve every document tied to Nvidia’s exports of advanced artificial intelligence chips to China, escalating congressional scrutiny of a scandal that has already cost the chipmaker its chief executive.
Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Chris Coons of Delaware sent the letter on Wednesday, November 11, to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, and White House chief of staff Stephen Miller. The Wall Street Journal first reported details of the letter, and Reuters confirmed its contents.
“This incident raises significant concerns about the federal government’s ability to effectively enforce our export controls and protect our national security,” the senators wrote.
What the senators asked for
Warren and Coons asked the three officials to preserve all documents, communications and other records related to Nvidia’s exports of advanced AI chips to China and to the suspected Chinese intelligence operation at the center of the controversy. They also requested a congressional briefing on the national security risks posed by the operation, and asked for written confirmation by November 17 that the administration has issued directives to preserve the relevant records.
The preservation demand is often an early step before a formal congressional investigation, and it signals that Democratic oversight of the Nvidia episode will continue when the new Congress — which Democrats won in the November 3 midterm elections — convenes in January.
The letter landed the same week that Jensen Huang resigned as Nvidia’s president, chief executive and board member, effective immediately. The board named chief financial officer Colette Kress as interim chief executive and appointed Harvey C. Jones as its first-ever board chair.
The Megaspeed connection
At the heart of the senators’ letter is Megaspeed, a Singapore-based company that has purchased more than $4.8 billion in advanced Nvidia AI chips since June 2024, according to trade records cited by lawmakers and in congressional reporting.
The Justice Department is investigating whether Megaspeed diverted advanced chips to China in violation of U.S. export controls. Megaspeed has said it will cooperate with U.S. investigators, NBC News reported, and the company has denied wrongdoing.
The controversy centers on Alice Huang, a Megaspeed executive whom U.S. intelligence reportedly believes is a Chinese intelligence asset. Reuters reported that allegations have emerged that Huang’s relationship with Alice Huang — no relation to the Nvidia chief — aided at least $7.5 billion in Nvidia chip shipments to China. Reuters also reported that Rubio had previously briefed President Donald Trump on the affair.
The senators’ letter also pointed to reports that a Commerce Department investigation into Megaspeed was altered after communications with Nvidia representatives. “Questions also remain regarding whether or not prudent defensive counter-intelligence action was taken or national security recommendations were overruled,” Warren and Coons wrote.
The senators said government officials were reportedly aware of concerns about Nvidia, Megaspeed and the suspected intelligence operation, yet advanced AI chips continued to flow.
Why it matters
Many of Nvidia’s most advanced chips are subject to U.S. export restrictions designed to protect American dominance in artificial intelligence and keep the most powerful computing hardware out of Chinese hands. If advanced chips reached China through intermediaries in Singapore or elsewhere, it would raise serious questions about whether those controls are working.
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The stakes are enormous. Nvidia is the world’s most valuable chipmaker and the backbone of the global AI boom. Its shares fell about 10 percent in premarket trading on Thursday after the resignation was announced, and the company has lost hundreds of billions of dollars in market value since the investigation surfaced. Nvidia is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on November 17, in what will be its first public management response since Huang’s departure.
Congressional pressure is building from both parties. Three House Republican committee chairmen — Brian Mast of Foreign Affairs, John Moolenaar of the Select Committee on China and Rick Crawford of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence — have demanded a closed-door briefing from Huang on November 18 about his contacts with Megaspeed executives. Senators Warren and Republican Jim Banks are also negotiating legislation, the AI Oversight Act, that would restrict licensed semiconductor exports to China to architectures at least two generations behind the cutting edge.
What happens next
The administration has until November 17 to confirm in writing that Nvidia-related records are being preserved. Nvidia reports earnings the same day, and the closed-door House briefing is scheduled for November 18.
Whether the preservation demand becomes a full investigation will depend on what the records show — and on how much the administration cooperates. For now, the letter ensures that the paper trail behind one of the biggest national security controversies in the tech industry cannot quietly disappear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Senators Warren and Coons ask the Trump administration to do?
They asked Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House chief of staff Stephen Miller to preserve all documents, communications and records related to Nvidia’s advanced AI chip exports to China and the suspected Chinese intelligence operation, to brief Congress on the national security risks, and to confirm in writing by November 17 that preservation directives have been issued.
What is Megaspeed accused of?
Megaspeed, a Singapore-based Nvidia customer, bought more than $4.8 billion in advanced Nvidia AI chips since June 2024. The Justice Department is investigating whether the company diverted chips to China in violation of U.S. export controls. The allegations are unproven, and Megaspeed says it will cooperate with investigators.
What happens next in the Nvidia probe?
The administration faces a November 17 deadline to confirm records are being preserved. Nvidia reports earnings the same day, and a closed-door House committee briefing is scheduled for November 18. Democratic oversight is expected to intensify when the new Congress convenes in January.
Nvidia’s board is searching for a permanent chief executive, and the company has said it will still report earnings on November 17. The outcome of the congressional inquiries — and what the preserved records reveal about who knew what, and when — will shape whether the scandal ends with Huang’s resignation or becomes a far larger reckoning over U.S. export controls.
Sources: Reuters (via SRN News); JBizNews; East Asia Brief; The Wall Street Journal (first reported details of the letter); NBC News (Megaspeed cooperation).
