MAGA Allies Clash With Rep. Brian Mast Over Trump AI‑Chip Export Powers
Axios reports that top pro‑Trump influencers, including Laura Loomer and White House crypto/AI adviser David Sacks, are publicly attacking House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast (R‑Fla.) over his AI OVERWATCH Act (H.R. 6875), which would put Congress in the driver’s seat on regulating U.S. AI‑chip sales to China. Sacks boosted a post saying Mast’s bill would undercut President Trump’s authority; Loomer called it “pro‑China sabotage disguised as oversight” and urged followers to “kill the bill.” Mast, who says the legislation is still in committee, fired back that his job is not to be a “yes‑man” to Sacks or Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and insists he is trying to tighten controls on China, not help it. A close White House ally accused Mast of acting like “Huawei’s Employee of the Month,” reflecting how Trump’s team is framing the fight as an effort to strip the president of foreign‑policy power, while Nvidia defended U.S. firms competing for “vetted and approved” business abroad. The dust‑up exposes a widening rift inside the GOP over how hard to clamp down on U.S. tech exports to China and whether Congress should rein in Trump’s unilateral control over AI and semiconductor policy.
📌 Key Facts
- House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast is sponsoring the AI OVERWATCH Act (H.R. 6875) to regulate U.S. AI‑chip exports to China.
- Trump adviser David Sacks and influencer Laura Loomer have attacked the bill online, with Loomer calling it “pro‑China sabotage” and demanding it be killed.
- Mast told Axios his job is not to be a "yes‑man" to Sacks or Nvidia, while a White House ally accused him of acting like “Huawei’s Employee of the Month.”
- Nvidia spokesperson John Rizzo said critics are "unintentionally promoting the interests of foreign competitors on U.S. entity lists" and argued America should want its industry competing for vetted foreign sales.
- The dispute comes amid broader GOP splits over AI regulation and Trump’s separate plan to let Nvidia sell certain high‑end chips to China.
📊 Relevant Data
The AI OVERWATCH Act (H.R. 6875) requires the executive branch to notify Congress of proposed exports of advanced AI chips exceeding certain performance thresholds to covered high-risk countries like China, and allows Congress to pass a joint resolution to veto such exports, mirroring the oversight process for major foreign arms sales.
Chairman Mast Introduces AI OVERWATCH Act to Secure America's Technological Dominance — House Foreign Affairs Committee
In fiscal year 2025, Nvidia generated approximately $17.11 billion in revenue from China, representing about 17% of its total revenue of $96.3 billion that year, though sales have declined due to U.S. export restrictions.
NVIDIA Corporation Revenue Breakdown By Region — Bullfincher
The annual cost of intellectual property theft attributed to China is estimated at $225 billion to $600 billion for the U.S. economy, with potential cumulative losses of $10–13 trillion over the next 20 years in the most likely scenario.
The Cost of Intellectual Property Thefts Attributed to China — LinkedIn
Advanced AI chips can enable China's military to develop applications such as rapid response scenarios on the battlefield, lowering barriers to cyberweapon creation, biological or chemical weapon design, and deploying autonomous vehicles.
Commerce Strengthens Export Controls to Restrict China's Capability to Produce Advanced Semiconductors for Military Advantage — Bureau of Industry and Security
In the U.S. semiconductor workforce, only 12% of workers are from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (Hispanic or Latino, Black, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native), compared to these groups comprising about 35% of the total U.S. population (19% Hispanic, 13% Black, 3% other listed groups).
Semiconductor Workforce & Talent Assessment — Oregon.gov
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