PHOENIX — President Donald Trump appears to have softened his position on Intel CEO Lip Bu Tan after a White House meeting Monday, less than a week after calling for the tech executive's immediate resignation.

The dramatic turnaround comes as Intel faces what might be the worst year in the company's storied history, with thousands of layoffs worldwide, including approximately 700 workers at the company's Chandler facility this summer.

By year's end, Tan told employees in July , Intel plans to have laid off 22 percent of its worldwide workforce of about 100,000.

Trump's initial criticism stemmed from questions raised by Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas regarding Tan's potential ties to China and the Chinese Communist Party. Tan's former company, Cadence Design Systems, had cu

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