How Intel’s CEO Became a Political Liability

The Journal.

The Wall Street Journal

Daily News, Business News, News

4.2 • 5.3K Ratings

🗓️ 13 August 2025

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

President Trump has called for the resignation of Intel’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan. Tan played a key role in building up China’s chip industry, earning him the nickname “Mr. Chip.” Now his ties to China have opened him up to criticism, just as he’s struggling to turn Intel’s business around. WSJ’s Stu Woo explains how Tan attracted the President’s attention, and what it says about the ongoing U.S.-China tech rivalry. Annie Minoff hosts.Further Listening: - The Chip Business Is Booming. Why Isn't Intel?- Why Washington Went to Wall Street to Revive the Chips Industry - The U.S. Wants American-Made Chips. Can Intel Deliver?Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Last week, the CEO of Intel, one of America's most storied tech companies, was asked to resign.
0:12.1	But it wasn't Intel's board calling for him to step down.
0:17.3	Intel has now found itself in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump.
0:21.6	After the president called for the company CEO, Liputan, to resign, calling him,
0:25.6	quote, highly conflicted due to his ties to Chinese firms.
0:30.6	Liputon, Intel's CEO, has only been in the job for about five months.
0:36.6	The focus on him seems to have started last week.
0:40.1	That's when Republican Senator Tom Cotton, a longtime China Hawk,
0:43.8	posted a letter on X.
0:45.5	It was addressed to Intel's board.
0:47.9	He sent a letter to Intel saying,
0:49.5	hey, I have some questions about your CEO.
0:52.3	That's our colleague, Stu Wu.
0:54.5	Specifically, this guy runs America's most prominent chip company, but he seems to have a lot
0:59.2	of ties to the most important chip companies in China. And we want to know, have you asked
1:04.0	him about that? Have you looked into this?
1:06.1	Trump's Truth Social Post, calling for Tan's's resignation followed just a day later.
1:13.5	How unusual is that the president kind of coming out and saying, hey, I think the CEO of this
1:18.5	company should step down?
1:21.1	My colleagues and I have been talking to some business professors, and they're saying it's
1:24.5	unprecedented in modern U.S. presidency for the president to weigh in
1:28.7	on the CEO of a private American corporation.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Wall Street Journal, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Wall Street Journal and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.