NYT: ‘Howard Lutnick Took Softer Line on Nvidia as Calls for Tougher Controls Grew’

Ana Swanson, Tripp Mickle, Maggie Haberman, and Jonathan Swan, in a long deeply-sourced profile of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (gift link):

There is broad agreement among most senior Trump administration officials that the United States should more aggressively tighten controls on Nvidia’s advanced chips to keep China from using them to catch up in the race to dominate artificial intelligence.

Then there is Howard Lutnick, who runs the Commerce Department. [...]

Within the Commerce Department, Nvidia is treated differently than other firms, current and former officials say, with its issues given high priority and sent through specific channels.

Mr. Lutnick frequently calls and messages with Mr. Huang, and the department prepares carefully for their private meetings together in Mr. Lutnick’s fifth floor office. All Nvidia matters are routed through Jeff Kessler, a top deputy to Mr. Lutnick, who is said to rarely take any significant action without the commerce secretary’s approval.

Nvidia’s general counsel has also been given direct access to shape new rules, including leaving comments in draft regulations affecting the company.

Here’s a photo from the Times story, taken this July in the Washington D.C. Cheesecake Factory, with Lutnick telling Jensen Huang, “Dude, seriously, smell my finger...”

Howard Lutnick and Jensen Huang in the Oval Office.

Republicans as a party, and the Trump administration in particular, need scapegoats for the historical disaster of their election losses last week. Huang and Nvidia are going to be one of them. Lutnick is another. He’s cooked.

★ Friday, 13 November 2026