Some Republicans are knocking President Donald Trump for an unusual deal that will see the US government take a cut of Nvidia and AMD’s China chip sales, the latest indication of a split between the administration and the GOP’s China hawks.
Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., who chairs the House China select committee, publicly criticized the move and amplified concerns about whether the arrangement is legal and/or constitutional.
“We should not set a precedent that incentivizes the government to grant licenses to sell China technology that will enhance its AI capabilities,” he said — a critique in line with comments from outgoing Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb.
The White House dismissed the criticism, insisting sales of the chips would not set the US back. “Two things can be accomplished at the same time: the Administration can find novel ways of raising historic revenue for the federal government and safeguard our national security,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Semafor.