Donald Trump Suggests Former Apple CEO Tim Cook Should Replace Jensen Huang as Nvidia Chief

Jensen Huang resigned this morning as the chief executive officer of Nvidia following a flurry of reports detailing personal affairs, including one involving an alleged Chinese spy. The sudden and dramatic departure of one of the tech industry’s most influential leaders has left the world’s leading chipmaking giant temporarily under the leadership of its chief financial officer on an interim basis. As Wall Street and Silicon Valley grapple with the shockwaves of the announcement, President Donald Trump has already publicly floated a prominent candidate to helm the semiconductor titan: former Apple CEO Tim Cook, who recently stepped down from his day-to-day leadership role at Apple on September 1st to transition into an executive chairman position.

Shortly after news of Huang’s resignation broke, President Trump took to Truth Social to share his perspective on who should inherit the massive corporate shoes left behind by the longtime Nvidia leader. "NOW THAT Nvidia CEO JENSEN HUANG, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there is only one man to take his place — TIM COOK of Apple," Trump wrote in his online post, describing the potential transition with the succinct declaration: "A Legend replaces a Legend!"

The president doubled down on his endorsement during a newly published episode of Stephen A. Smith’s Straight Shooter podcast. During the appearance, Trump elaborated on his rationale for why Cook would make an ideal successor at Nvidia, while also offering a retrospective comparison of Apple’s leadership history. Trump argued that Apple "would never be what it is today" if Steve Jobs were still around, suggesting that Cook’s operational brilliance was the primary engine behind scaling the iPhone maker into a global powerhouse.

"Well, you know, the expression, ‘Anybody can be replaced?’ So it’s very hard to replace him, but I had an idea this morning that I sort of just released: Tim Cook," Trump said on the podcast. "He just sort of semi-retired from Apple. He’s done one of the greatest jobs in the history of business. I think if Tim Cook, who built Apple… If Steve Jobs were around, Apple would never be what it is today. Tim Cook took a lot of these brilliant ideas and designs and everything else from Jobs and others, and he made it into one of the great companies of the world in a fairly short period. I think Tim Cook would be a great candidate to run Nvidia."

Representatives for Apple and Nvidia did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the president’s public suggestion. Cook is well-known within political circles for maintaining an ongoing, pragmatic relationship with President Trump over the years. Their interactions have frequently drawn public attention, ranging from Cook presenting the president with a custom 24k gold and glass statue crafted by Corning last year, to public remarks exchanged following Cook’s transition announcement earlier this season, during which Trump recounted having the head of Apple reach out to him.

During his podcast interview, Trump also revealed that he had spoken directly with Huang the previous day. Providing a glimpse into the emotional toll of the scandal, the president remarked that Huang is currently "going through hell" as a result of the intense public scrutiny and the sudden unraveling of his corporate career.

When asked on the podcast whether Huang should have stepped down from his post, Trump noted that the severity of the situation largely hinges on the unconfirmed status of the allegations involving the alleged spy.

"Well, the big thing is, was the woman a spy, and I don’t know if that’s been determined yet, but if the woman was a spy, yes, if the woman was not a spy, perhaps it would be different," Trump stated. Despite the turbulent circumstances surrounding the resignation, the president expressed confidence in Huang’s personal resilience, describing him as a fine man whom he has known reasonably well for years.

Trump shared that during their private conversation, Huang expressed deep remorse primarily over the impact the ordeal has had on his family. "Somehow, he’ll end up on his feet. I mean, I know him, I know him pretty well. I always thought of him as a fine man," Trump said. "I spoke to him yesterday. He’s going through hell. What he feels most badly about is his wife and family. That’s what he is, really… that’s what he told me. I’m president, and he called me. And he said, What I’ve done to my wife and family is… That’s what he talked about."

Throughout the podcast discussion, Trump consistently referred to the departing executive as a "tremendous talent," echoing sentiments shared by various other leaders across the technology sector who have also offered public support to Huang in the wake of his resignation.