Senate Republicans demanded answers Tuesday over allegations that Chinese intelligence targeted Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, questioning who in the Trump administration knew of the suspected operation, whether the FBI should have warned the chip executive, and how federal officials vetted Chinese companies cleared to handle Nvidia's most advanced chips.

The FBI is already investigating the matter, the Washington Examiner previously reported. The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

"I lost my breath," Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) told the Washington Examiner on Capitol Hill. "And they need to be investigated by Justice, FBI, CIA, Congress. We need to find out."

Who knew what, and when?

The New York Times reported Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One in May, shortly before Huang joined the presidential delegation during a refueling stop in Alaska en route to China. That was at least the second time Trump had been told about the intelligence, according to the Times.

Trump said Monday he did not know about the relationship at the time of the trip. The White House disputed the Times's account. Trump said Huang told him he had been unaware of the alleged intelligence ties.

Huang has acknowledged a romantic relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed whom U.S. officials concluded was working for China's Ministry of State Security, the Times reported. China's Foreign Ministry dismissed the espionage allegation Monday.

Should the FBI have issued a warning?

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who leaves the Senate in January, said the reported intelligence should have prompted the FBI to give Huang a defensive briefing — a direct warning to the target of a foreign operation.

"You tell the target of the intelligence operation, 'Hey, this is not an innocent interaction.' This is a nation-state spying on you and on our country,'" Cornyn said.

Whether the bureau warned Huang, or determined that sensitive information was exposed, remains unclear.

Stuart Kaplan, who served nearly 11 years as an FBI agent, told the Washington Examiner that investigators in such a case would examine whom a suspected operative could reach through the relationship — including whether it opened a path to government officials or sensitive technology. The priority, he said, is determining "what, if anything, has been compromised" and whether the damage can be contained. The FBI sometimes keeps counterintelligence inquiries out of public view to continue gathering intelligence, and some never result in criminal charges.

How did Chinese firms get chip clearances?

Cornyn also called for investigators to identify who signed off on companies cleared to handle Nvidia's chips. The New York Times reported over the weekend that the Commerce Department approved roughly two dozen Chinese firms to buy or handle H200 chips — including some with ties to blacklisted companies or Chinese military suppliers. One firm's listed office stood vacant when a Times reporter visited. The department said it reviews all applications for national security risks.

Megaspeed drew public scrutiny months before Huang acknowledged the relationship. In a May 13 thread on X, Culper Research said it believed Nvidia had "a significant China problem," alleging that advanced Nvidia chips were reaching China through Southeast Asian intermediaries and naming Megaspeed as part of that network. Culper disclosed it held a short position in Nvidia, meaning it profited if the stock fell.

What is Nvidia's board doing?

Nvidia said Tuesday that independent board members retained Joon H. Kim, a former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and his firm, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, to run the inquiry the board announced Sunday. The board said Sunday it had no reason to believe national security or company secrets had been compromised.

Republican lawmakers have asked Huang to appear for a closed-door briefing on Nov. 18 about his interactions with Alice Huang and Nvidia's safeguards against foreign espionage. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said in the Senate Press Gallery that he expected Nvidia to investigate and ranked the matter low on his list of Senate priorities.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said Tuesday he was prepared to take up the matter through the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations as Democrats prepare to regain oversight command and subpoena powers. He said Huang's contributions to the administration warranted scrutiny and that private donors had no claim to executive privilege over their dealings with the White House.

"There absolutely must be a Senate investigation," Blumenthal said.