President Donald Trump said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told him on Monday that he had "absolutely no idea" the woman he had an affair with "was a spy" — and that the president believes him.

Trump made the remarks at an impromptu White House press conference on Monday, held alongside Dana White. He said he had called Huang earlier that day to check in on the executive as the scandal unfolded.

What Did Trump Say Exactly?

The president described a direct exchange about the spying allegations. "He said he had absolutely no idea that the person in question was a spy," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I asked him that question. 'Did you have any idea that she was a spy?' Said, 'I had no idea that she was a spy,' and I really believe him."

Trump also praised Huang and said he felt "very confident that he'll be in good shape."

For practitioners watching Nvidia's governance exposure, the presidential intervention matters on two fronts:

• It signals political support for Huang at the highest level of the US government while Nvidia's own board investigates him.
• It comes from a president who has made semiconductor policy and China-related technology controls central to his agenda — the same terrain the alleged espionage touches.

Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

What Is Nvidia's Board Investigating?

The scandal broke on Sunday, when Huang admitted to having an extramarital affair. On the same day, Nvidia's board of directors said it was opening an investigation into whether the CEO was the "target of a foreign intelligence effort."

That phrasing frames Huang as a potential victim of an intelligence operation rather than a willing participant — a distinction that shapes both the legal exposure and the leadership question now hanging over the company.

The New York Times has reported that US intelligence officials believe the woman at the center of the scandal, Alice Huang, was recruited to gather information about Nvidia for the Chinese government.

What Does This Mean for Huang's Position?

The scandal has already prompted speculation about whether Huang will maintain his role as CEO of Nvidia. That debate now runs against the backdrop of Trump's public endorsement.

The timeline of events, compressed into a matter of days:

• Sunday: Huang admits to the affair; Nvidia's board announces an investigation into whether he was the target of a foreign intelligence effort.
• Monday: The New York Times reports US intelligence officials' assessment that Alice Huang was recruited to gather information about Nvidia for Beijing.
• Monday: Trump calls Huang, questions him directly about the spying allegation, then defends him publicly at the White House.

For investors and executives tracking the story, the open questions are straightforward. The board investigation has no announced endpoint. Trump's stated confidence — "very confident that he'll be in good shape" — offers political cover but carries no formal weight inside Nvidia's governance process. And the company itself has remained silent beyond the board's initial statement.

Nvidia has not commented on the president's remarks. The board has not set a public deadline for its findings, and Huang has not publicly addressed the intelligence assessment reported by the Times beyond his admission of the affair.