Republican Blame Game, Alleged Nvidia Honeytrap, And A NASA Job Offer

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Welcome to our press review of events in the United States. Every Wednesday we look at how the Swiss media have reported and reacted to three major stories in the US – in politics, finance and science. This content was published on November 11, 2026 - 17:00 8 minutes

I write articles on the Swiss Abroad and“Swiss Oddities” as well as weekly briefings and press reviews. I also translate, edit and sub-edit articles for the English department and do voiceover work for videos. Born in London, I have a degree in German/Linguistics and was a journalist at The Independent before moving to Bern in 2005. I speak all three official Swiss languages and enjoy travelling the country and practising them, above all in pubs, restaurants and gelaterias.

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Today is Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day (Poppy Day) in Britain. To date, 21 American soldiers have reportedlyExternal link died in Iran since the United States and Israel began strikes on the country in February (compared with several thousand Iranians). The war was certainly a key factor in the Republicans' emphatic midterm defeat last week, according to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), but“allegations of corruption and general dissatisfaction with Donald Trump also played a part”.

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The Republicans are blaming the war in Iran for their“midterm debacle”, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) reported. But politicians,“especially those with ambitions”, are avoiding explicit criticism of US President Donald Trump.

“The scale of the Republicans' defeat in the midterm elections is becoming increasingly clear,” the NZZ wrote on Friday, a couple of days after the Democrats seized control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, flipping several Republican strongholds.“According to post-election analyses, all voter groups turned their backs on Donald Trump's party. They even lost support among men and voters with lower levels of education.”

According to the NZZ, White House election strategists saw the unpopular war with Iran as a key reason. This interpretation has now become the White House's official line.“Iran has something to do with it,” Trump admitted after the election outcome became apparent, referring to high petrol prices. Hours later Vice-President JD Vance took to social media platform X:“The reason we lost is the war. The President himself said so.”

The NZZ said the war with Iran was certainly a key factor in the Republicans' defeat,“but the trade dispute, the allegations of corruption and general dissatisfaction with Trump also played a part”. Vance, the Zurich newspaper said, was positioning himself for a possible presidential bid in 2028.“But he's walking a tightrope: as the second-highest-ranking member of the cabinet, he shares responsibility for President Trump's agenda. At the same time, he must distance himself where necessary, without falling out of favour as Trump's heir apparent.”

Vance could soon face competition as a contender for the highest office, the NZZ added. It quoted Ron DeSantis, stepping down as governor of Florida in January, who said the Republicans must finally stop lying to voters about the consequences of the war with Iran, and Senator Ted Cruz, who said“the trade tariffs are making everything too expensive, and the war with Iran is dragging on for too long”.

The NZZ said it was striking, however, that politicians,“especially those with ambitions”, were avoiding explicit criticism of Trump.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are preparing to take control of Congress on January 3.“The days of Trump's supplicant Senate are over,” said Chuck Schumer, the Minority Leader and likely Majority Leader. According to the NZZ,“there was a thinly veiled threat in his words”.

Media source Republicans blame the war in Iran for their midterm debacle – and President TrumpExternal link – NZZ (German, paywall)

Coverage of the midterms by Swiss public broadcasters SRFExternal link, RTSExternal link, RSIExternal link (German, French, Italian)

Honey-trapped by a Chinese spy? A record divorce? A Swiss son-in-law taking over the world's biggest company? There were plenty of angles in the Nvidia affair for Swiss newspapers to get excited about this week.

“The Nvidia Group may be developing the chips that are driving the rise of artificial intelligence, but its chief executive has succumbed to the most human of all temptations,” the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) wrote on Tuesday. On Sunday Jensen Huang admitted having an extramarital affair with Alice Huang (no relation), who allegedly works for the Chinese secret service“and was therefore more interested in Nvidia's technology than in the CEO”.

The FBI opened an investigation and shares in the California-based company plummeted, dropping to $168.80 (CHF140) on Tuesday, their lowest level since March. A week earlier they had stood at $206.69. Nvidia's market capitalisation thus dropped by just under $1 trillion to around $4 trillion. The shares recovered some ground on Wednesday morning.

The Nvidia case“highlights both the risks and the potential for abuse that can surround the romantic relationships of economic and political decision-makers”, said Le Temps.“In romantic relationships 'at the top', where intimacy and business intertwine, there are various levels of risk. This is because an affair is not always the result of a chance encounter: it's sometimes orchestrated for practical purposes, precisely because a person holds a key position in politics or business.”

This incident, Le Temps continued,“could therefore be likened to 'honey trapping', a practice involving the use of romantic or sexual relationships for interpersonal, political or financial gain: the trapper seeks to lure the target into a relationship through which they can glean information or exert influence”.

While Blick pointed out that Huang could have to pay his wife a record $80 million in the event of divorce, other Swiss newspapers got excited by the prospect of a Swiss former skier taking over the largest company in the world by market capitalisation. Nico Caprez, who skied for Switzerland before a knee injury ended his career, married Jensen Huang's daughter in September.

“Since joining Nvidia, the Swiss national is said to have risen through the ranks particularly quickly,” 20Minutes wrote.“In particular, he is said to have skipped the role of senior director to become, less than two years after being recruited, vice-president in charge of global growth for artificial intelligence infrastructure.”

Media source Industrial espionage is rife, but Swiss firms are turning a blind eyeExternal link – NZZ (German, paywall)

Nvidia shares at lowest level since March – news via Swissinfo (German)

When affairs and business don't mixExternal link – Le Temps (French, paywall)

Could Swiss former skier take over from Jensen Huang? – 20MinutesExternal link (German), Tages-AnzeigerExternal link (German, paywall), Le MatinExternal link (French)

Huang faces record divorceExternal link – Blick (German)

Coverage of the Nvidia revelations by Swiss public broadcasters SRFExternal link, RTSExternal link, RSIExternal link (German, French, Italian)

“Have you always wanted to see the Earth from above and thought a normal office job is overrated?” asked Swiss news portal Watson. If so, the good news is that NASA is hiring astronauts. The less good news is that“it won't be quite as simple as applying for a job on LinkedIn”.

“'The universe is calling' – NASA is once again looking for new astronauts,” the Tages-Anzeiger reported on Monday, adding that the US space agency is accepting applications until December 3.

The entry bar has been set fairly high, however.“To be successful, applicants must be US citizens, hold a Master's degree in a science-related subject or a similar qualification, and have at least three years' professional experience or at least 750 hours of flight training,” the Zurich newspaper explained.“Applicants must also pass a fitness test and demonstrate 'strong leadership, teamwork and communication skills'.”

The Tages-Anzeiger said that those who clear these hurdles and are ultimately selected“can look forward to flights to the Moon or perhaps even to Mars”.

NASA last opened a round of applications in 2024. From the 8,000 interested individuals who applied, the space agency selected ten, who are currently undergoing the roughly two-year training programme. The previous record number of applications – 18,000 – was received in 2016. In total, NASA has selected around 370 astronauts in its history, around 30 of whom are currently on active duty.

Media source Coverage of the NASA application news in the Tages-AnzeigerExternal link (German, paywall) and WatsonExternal link (German)

Swiss astronaut Marco Sieber: 'Money for space travel is an investment' – Swissinfo, May 2023

The next edition of 'Swiss views of US news' will be published on Wednesday, November 18. See you then!

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