“Bigger Than a Business Story”: Nvidia Shakeup

Richard Haass argues that the fallout from Jensen Huang’s departure at Nvidia is not just a corporate governance problem but a national security issue tied to U.S.-China rivalry. He says reports that the woman involved may have been a Chinese spy would fit a broader Chinese pattern of intellectual-property theft, and he questions why officials did not intervene sooner if the intelligence community had already flagged the risk.

Haass also broadens the Nvidia story to export controls and state capacity. He doubts that restrictions on advanced technology are as effective as their advocates claim, saying global supply chains make controls easy to evade and can even push rivals to accelerate their own development. He suggests the issue could warrant congressional scrutiny if the Justice Department does not act.

The conversation then turns to the midterm election’s foreign-policy effects. Haass says Congress still has limited leverage because presidents retain most control over diplomacy, war, and tariffs. He argues the election weakened Donald Trump abroad, especially with Iran, while also strengthening the perception that American democracy remains functional. He also says Canada emerged as an election issue because many voters recognized that tariffs hurt U.S. businesses and consumers.