Trump Defends Commerce Secretary Lutnick as Calls Grow for Answers on Chip Smuggling

US President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

The White House says it is sticking with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, even though some inside the administration believe he was slow to act on worries about advanced chips being smuggled into China.

President Donald Trump has shown no sign of putting distance between himself and Lutnick, despite pressure building on Capitol Hill.

The Commerce Department has not said on the record whether Lutnick saw the memo. Two senior administration officials, speaking to the publication, said that is hard to believe. One said it was impossible that Lutnick did not know about it. The other said Commerce had to receive it, because the memo is about chips and chips fall under Commerce.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat who is set to chair the Senate Banking Committee, said Lutnick and Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler must explain why export control loopholes remain open. She called on them to act today so that advanced technology does not help China’s military.

A Republican, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, put it more bluntly in comments to Politico. He asked why Lutnick chose to 'sell' advanced chips. Kennedy said Lutnick should answer that in front of…

Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world