What Next | Daily News and Analysis TBD | Trump Dips into NVIDIA’s Chips
Aug 15, 2025
Amrith Ramkumar, a tech and crypto policy reporter for The Wall Street Journal, joins the discussion on NVIDIA's dramatic journey from gaming to AI powerhouse. He highlights Jensen Huang's pivotal role in negotiating chip deals with both President Trump and China, marking a significant moment for global tech diplomacy. The conversation also tackles the U.S.-China tech rivalry, the implications of state capitalism in U.S. economic policy, and how these factors shape the future of technology and security.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Huang's White-Jacket Diplomacy
- Jensen Huang personally lobbied President Trump and drew a diagram to argue against tariffs and for chip exports.
- That charm offensive helped secure a conversation where Trump negotiated a revenue cut from NVIDIA sales to China.
Policy About-Face On Chip Exports
- The Trump administration shifted from strict export controls to a willingness to export mid-tier chips like the H20.
- Officials judged the H20 as roughly "fourth best" and acceptable to give China to avoid ceding markets.
Chinese Competition Shifted U.S. Calculus
- Competitive pressure from Huawei and Chinese models pushed U.S. officials to relax export limits.
- The administration feared ceding global AI markets if mid-tier U.S. chips stayed banned.