Gelsinger's return to Intel, where he had spent 30 years earlier in his career, was initially met with enthusiasm. Investors cheered his appointment, and employees celebrated having a technologist back in charge. However, the optimism was short-lived as Gelsinger made several missteps that would impact Intel's relationships and business prospects, starting with TSMC.

According to sources, despite receiving deep discounts from TSMC for chip production, Gelsinger made public statements that offended the Taiwanese company. "You don't want all of your eggs in the basket of a Taiwan fab," Gelsinger said in May 2021, referring to Taiwan's geopolitical situation. He later said, "Taiwan is not a stable place," at a tech conference in December of that year where he encouraged chip manufacturers to remain in the US.