The tech world is heating up faster than your MacBook after a marathon coding session, and Intel’s new CEO Lip-Bu Tan is finding himself in the political hot seat.

The Power Play

In a wild turn of events, former President Trump and Senator Tom Cotton are calling for Tan’s immediate resignation, claiming he’s got more ties to Chinese tech firms than a Silicon Valley networking event has kombucha.

National Security or Corporate Witch Hunt?

Cotton’s letter suggests Tan controls dozens of Chinese companies and has stakes in hundreds of chip firms - at least eight of which reportedly have connections to China’s military. The drama centers around Tan’s previous leadership at Cadence Design Systems, which recently pleaded guilty to violating export control rules by selling tech to China’s National University of Defense Technology.

The Tech Titans’ Chess Game

This isn’t just about one CEO - it’s a broader geopolitical showdown where chips are the new battlefield. With Intel receiving over $8 billion in federal funding through the CHIPS Act, the stakes are higher than a startup’s Series A funding round. Tan, who took over as CEO in March, is now caught between maintaining his global business connections and navigating increasingly tense US-China tech relations.

As Intel’s stock tumbles and political pressure mounts, one thing’s clear: in the world of tech and international politics, no good deed goes unpunished.