Renowned venture capitalist Mike Moritz called on Intel to stand by CEO Lip-Bu Tan after President Donald Trump demanded his resignation last week.
"Trump's assault has no modern precedent," Moritz wrote, calling the attack a "vindictive political sideshow."
Moritz, who spent decades at Sequoia Capital and has known Tan for nearly four decades, highlighted the CEO's previous turnaround of Cadence Design Systems . Moritz said there is "no one better equipped to transform Intel's fortunes."
"Now the Intel board must decide whether to march to the beat of so many other corporate leaders and capitulate to the president's artless bullying or to set an example for other companies and display some backbone," he wrote in a piece published in the Financial Times Sunday. "Early signs of defiance are encouraging."
Tan is set to visit the White House on Monday to assuage concerns about his background and discuss ways that Intel can work with the U.S. government.