A staunch MAGA senator was raising eyebrows after publicly turning on one of President Donald Trump’s cabinet officials over a growing national security scandal involving advanced computer chips being exported to China.
Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN), a loyal Trump ally, accused Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick of apparently allowing sensitive technology exports to continue despite the president’s orders to stop them.
“Now we know that the Department of Commerce, Secretary Lutnick, it appears, used loopholes to allow some of these chip sales to occur even though President Trump has directed his administration and the Department of Commerce not to allow that to happen,” Banks told Fox News Thursday.
The Republican senator took his criticism a step further, demanding that Lutnick appear before Congress to explain himself.
“I would like for Secretary Lutnick, ASAP, to come testify before the Senate Banking Committee because we have a lot of bipartisan questions and concerns about what’s happened over the last year,” Banks said.
He warned that the exports appeared to be occurring in defiance of Trump’s orders.
The unusually sharp criticism from a Trump loyalist quickly caught the attention of political reporters.
“Banks is a loyal admin ally, this is remarkable from him,” wrote Punchbowl News technology reporter Ben Brody in an X post.
“oh boy -- hardcore MAGA Sen. Jim Banks throws Lutnick under the bus for the Nvidia scandal,” posted journalist Aaron Rupar.
Semafor congressional bureau chief Burgess Everett also flagged Banks’ demand that Lutnick testify "over apparent chip sales to China through loopholes."
Banks, meanwhile, warned Thursday: “When you’re in a war with another country, you don’t give them your best technologies.”
oh boy -- hardcore MAGA Sen. Jim Banks throws Lutnick under the bus for the Nvidia scandal https://t.co/6TgRGHFbvg
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 12, 2026