Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joins Trump China delegation at last minute

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined President Donald Trump’s delegation to China at the last minute on May 13, 2026, after initially being absent from the White House’s business leader list, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person said Trump called Huang after seeing media reports about his absence and invited him to join the trip. Nvidia said in a statement that Huang attended the summit at Trump’s invitation “to support the goals of the United States and the administration.” A photo circulating on social media appeared to show Huang boarding Air Force One during a refueling stop in Alaska, wearing his signature leather jacket and carrying a backpack. The White House on May 11, 2026, released a list of 17 U.S. CEOs invited for the China visit, excluding Huang, which had fueled speculation that the administration was reluctant to ease restrictions on advanced chip exports. Huang had previously said he would attend if invited.