Trump Does Not Recall Rubio Memo on Huang Affair With Alleged China Spy

Trump does not recall Rubio memo warning that Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang was involved with a woman United States intelligence believes was a Chinese spy, the president said on Monday, November 9, 2026, in his first detailed public response to the classified warning. Speaking at an impromptu White House press conference, President Donald Trump said the memo "certainly" may have been mentioned to him but "didn't make much of an impact on me", and he insisted he believed Huang's account that he knew nothing about the alleged espionage operation.

Key Points

• Trump said on Monday he does not recall reading the classified memo overseen by Secretary of State Marco Rubio about Jensen Huang and Alice Huang.
• The memo, based on electronic surveillance, said Alice Huang was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security and was circulated in May 2026.
• Trump said he believes Huang knew nothing about the alleged operation: "I really believe him... I think that he'll be in good shape."
• Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed the Gang of Eight for more than an hour on Monday.
• Democrats vowed investigations once they take control of Congress in January, calling semiconductor exports to China a national security issue.

What Happened

Trump addressed the matter at an impromptu White House press conference on Monday, after days of questions about what he knew and when. Asked about the classified memo, he said: "I would certainly check with the intelligence people. It could have been mentioned. Certainly, it didn't make much of an impact on me." The president said he only recently learned of the concerns and was not aware of the suspected operation when he brought Huang to Beijing.

Huang was not initially invited on the China trip, then boarded Air Force One during an Alaska layover for the final leg to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said he believed Huang when the Nvidia chief told him he knew nothing about the alleged operation. "I really believe him," Trump said. "I think that he'll be in good shape." The remarks came a day after Nvidia's board opened an independent investigation and hours after Trump confirmed the FBI is examining the affair.

Background: The Memo and the Beijing Trip

The memo was overseen by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and circulated in May 2026 among a small group of senior officials with high-level security clearances, shortly before Trump's trip to China to meet Xi Jinping. It was based on electronic surveillance of Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and senior executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data-centre firm. United States officials concluded she had been recruited by China's Ministry of State Security to gather information on Huang and to seek influence over Nvidia's supplies of advanced AI chips to China.

The Financial Times first reported the memo's contents on November 7, and the New York Times later reported that Trump had been briefed on the suspected operation as early as October 2025. Nvidia has called the allegations baseless, and Huang has said he had no idea Alice Huang was a spy. Huang admitted the affair to employees on November 8 and apologised to his family, colleagues and shareholders. US memo says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had romantic ties to alleged China spy.

Trump Does Not Recall the Rubio Memo

The president's account leaves a central question unanswered: who saw the warning, and what did they do with it? The memo was shared with a small circle of senior officials before a presidential trip to Beijing, yet Trump said it made no impression on him and that he only recently learned of the concerns. That gap is now the focus of the congressional scrutiny that is building around the case, and it is likely to dominate the closed-door briefing Huang has been asked to give lawmakers on November 18.

Trump's remarks also underlined how much of his defence of Huang rests on personal trust. He has repeatedly praised the Nvidia chief, calling him an "honorable guy" on November 8 and saying he would "certainly" take him on a future Asia trip. On Monday he added that he did not expect to raise the issue when he meets Xi Jinping next week at the APEC summit in Shenzhen. Trump backs Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as an honorable guy amid spy probe.

Reactions and Quotes

Senior Trump administration officials, including Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, met on Monday for more than an hour with the Gang of Eight, the eight lawmakers who oversee the intelligence agencies. The meeting was meant to focus on the Iran war but was dominated by the Huang affair, nearly a year after the FBI first warned lawmakers that Alice Huang might be feeding information to China.

Democrats vowed investigations once they take control of Congress in January. Representative Jim Himes said the export of advanced semiconductors to China is "a matter of immense national security importance", and Senator Chris Coons wrote: "Congress will investigate and get answers." China called the allegation "purely groundless speculation". Nvidia shareholders sue Jensen Huang as FBI probes alleged China spy affair.

Why It Matters

The case matters because it reaches the top of the most important company in the artificial intelligence age and the heart of the United States-China technological rivalry. Nvidia's chips power the data centres behind the world's leading AI systems, and Washington has spent years tightening controls on advanced chip sales to Chinese buyers. If a suspected Chinese intelligence asset reached the chief executive of the world's most valuable chipmaker, lawmakers will want to know what the government knew, when it knew it, and whether anything was done.

What Happens Next

The FBI examination will continue, Nvidia's board inquiry will run separately, and Congress is likely to press for answers, with Huang due to brief lawmakers on November 18. Nvidia reports earnings on November 17, when Huang will face investors for the first time since the scandal broke, and the shareholder lawsuit filed on Monday will move through the federal courts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Trump say about the memo?
Trump said on Monday he does not recall reading the classified memo overseen by Marco Rubio, adding: "It could have been mentioned. Certainly, it didn't make much of an impact on me."

Who is Alice Huang?
Alice Huang is a Chinese citizen and former senior executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data-centre company. US intelligence concluded she was recruited by China's Ministry of State Security.

Is Jensen Huang accused of spying for China?
No. The allegation concerns a woman in Huang's orbit said to have worked for Chinese intelligence. Huang says he had no idea, and Trump says he believes him.

What was the Gang of Eight briefing?
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and CIA Director John Ratcliffe met the eight lawmakers who oversee intelligence agencies for more than an hour on Monday, in a session dominated by the Huang affair.

What happens next?
Huang briefs Congress on November 18, Nvidia reports earnings on November 17, and Democrats have vowed investigations once they take control of Congress in January.