The chief executive of Intel, Lip-Bu Tan, defended his commitment to the U.S. chipmaker and its employees in a statement on Thursday, hours after President Trump demanded his resignation.
Mr. Trump called Mr. Tan “highly CONFLICTED,” in a post on Truth Social, an apparent reference to his reported investments in Chinese companies, which U.S. lawmakers have scrutinized since he was appointed to lead Intel in March.
In the post, Mr. Trump called for Mr. Tan to resign immediately, saying there “is no other solution to this problem.” A day earlier, the president had threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on many foreign-made semiconductors, an effort to bring more manufacturing to the United States.
Later on Thursday, Mr. Tan reiterated his commitment to leading Intel in a letter sent to company employees and published on the Intel website. “The United States has been my home for more than 40 years. I love this country and am profoundly grateful for the opportunities it has given me,” he wrote.
He also said he had the support of Intel’s board.
Mr. Tan, an American citizen who was born in Malaysia and grew up in Singapore, is a prominent tech leader in Silicon Valley who previously ran the venture capital firm Walden International and was the chief executive of Cadence Design Systems, a main maker of the software used in designing chips.
In March, he was appointed chef executive of Intel and charged with reviving the fortunes of the troubled American semiconductor manufacturer.
Mr. Tan has faced scrutiny in recent years for his investments in Chinese artificial intelligence and semiconductor companies, including some that U.S. officials say have ties to the Chinese military. It is not illegal for American citizens to invest in Chinese companies, but Mr. Trump has signaled interest in clamping down on such investments.
In July, the U.S. Department of Justice said that Cadence Design Systems, the company Mr. Tan previously led, would plead guilty to illegally selling its technology to a Chinese university with ties to the Chinese military. Mr. Tan was not named in the indictment, but Senator Tom Cotton was among those who expressed concerns that the sales had taken place under his tenure.
In 2023, a congressional committee requested information about Walden International’s investments in companies that the U.S. government had blacklisted over national security concerns.
In his statement on Thursday, Mr. Tan said “misinformation” was circulating about his past roles at those two companies.
“I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards,” he said. He added that he was engaging with the administration “to address the matters that have been raised and ensure they have the facts.”
“I fully share the President’s commitment to advancing U.S. national and economic security,” Mr. Tan said.