Trump backs Jensen Huang amid spy allegations, calls Thomas Massie 'sick, sick guy' over 'impeach' Pete Hegseth move

US President Donald Trump used his first news briefing following last week's midterm elections to address several contentious issues, including allegations involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and a suspected Chinese spy, calls to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Republican Party's disappointing electoral performance.

Trump appeared alongside Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White during the impromptu White House briefing on Monday. The President said he had brought White along simply to have "a little fun", referring to his earlier joking suggestion that the UFC chief could take over as White House press secretary.

Although White joined him at the podium, Trump handled most of the questions from reporters, touching on a range of political, national security and immigration-related issues.

Responding to Republican Representative Thomas Massie's renewed effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump dismissed the Kentucky lawmaker's move and strongly defended his Cabinet official.

"He is a sick, sick guy," Trump said, referring to Massie, who reintroduced articles of impeachment on Monday, largely centred on the administration's handling of the Iran war.

The President insisted that Hegseth continued to enjoy strong support among American military personnel.

"I will say this: The soldiers, the actual soldiers, the great people that do the work, the great patriots, they love Pete Hegseth," Trump said.

He also praised the Defence Secretary's performance, claiming that Hegseth had "won the war in Venezuela" and "won the war in Iran", despite stalled peace negotiations and continuing sporadic US military strikes.

"He's done a very good job," Trump added, making clear that he would continue supporting Hegseth even if the House moves forward with impeachment proceedings.

The articles of impeachment would require a simple majority in the Republican-controlled House before being sent to the Senate for a trial. Historically, only two US Cabinet officials have been impeached, and neither was convicted.

Trump also came to the defence of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang following reports that US intelligence agencies had identified a woman allegedly involved with him as a Chinese intelligence operative.

According to people familiar with the matter cited by NBC News, intelligence agencies had determined that Alice Huang, who is not related to the Nvidia chief, was a Chinese spy.

Trump said he had spoken with Jensen Huang earlier on Monday to check on his well-being.

"I had no idea that she was a spy," Trump recalled Huang telling him.

The President said he believed the Nvidia chief, describing him as a "very honorable man".

Huang had acknowledged in a statement on Sunday that he had been "unfaithful to my wife".

Meanwhile, Nvidia's board announced that it was launching an independent investigation following reports that its founder and CEO had allegedly become the target of a foreign intelligence operation.

China rejected the allegations, describing them as a "smear" and denying any involvement.

The President also addressed his recent comments on immigration during his appearance on CBS' 60 Minutes, in which he acknowledged that his administration's deportation measures had been "too tough".

During that interview, Trump had said that he could consider working with Democrats on a proposal that might provide legal status to certain immigrants.

Clarifying his position on Monday, Trump maintained that his administration's overall immigration policy remained unchanged, although he was willing to discuss a possible agreement.

"We're not going to have amnesty or anything," he said, without outlining the details of what such an arrangement could involve.

"People are going to do it the right way. I have to do it. It's unfair to other people, but certainly I'm open to it," Trump added.

His remarks suggest a willingness to explore bipartisan discussions while maintaining his administration's opposition to broad immigration amnesty.

Trump also revisited the Republican Party's poor showing in last week's midterm elections, expanding on a Truth Social post in which he had raised questions about the results.

Despite previously indicating that he was prepared to accept the electoral outcome, the President expressed concerns about the early voting figures when questioned by reporters.

"I think the numbers were terrible in terms of those early votes," Trump said.

When asked whether he believed the results had been manipulated, he again raised allegations of electoral irregularities, particularly in the closely contested Alaska Senate race, where the outcome had not yet been officially called.

His comments came after Republicans suffered significant losses at the ballot box, creating fresh questions about the party's political position and its prospects ahead of the next electoral cycle.

The briefing ended on a lighter note, with Trump once again jokingly offering Dana White the position of White House press secretary.

White, who had accompanied the President during the session, politely declined the suggestion.

"Thank you for the offer, sir," White responded. "I do not want to be in politics."

Trump played along with the exchange, replying, "I am devastated to hear this," before the two left the briefing room.

The White House has been without a permanent press secretary since late August, apart from Katie Zacharia's brief five-day stint in the position last month.

The more than 30-minute briefing covered a wide range of issues, offering a glimpse into Trump's priorities as his administration faces mounting political challenges following the midterm election setbacks.