When asked whether he believed Anthropic posed a threat to U.S. security, Trump said it did not currently, though it might have a week ago. He stated that the company had responded swiftly after the U.S. government expressed concerns and had acted 'very responsibly'; he would not shut down the company, but was uncertain whether it would be necessary to invoke emergency powers granted by law to intervene.
U.S. President Trump appears to have softened his stance toward AI star startup Anthropic, but this does not mean the White House has lowered its guard against cutting-edge artificial intelligence.
According to a report released Friday, May 19, Eastern Time, Trump told U.S. media in an interview that he currently does not view Anthropic or its CEO Dario Amodei as a national security threat, though he acknowledged that he 'perhaps' held that view 'a week ago.'
Trump noted that he met with Amodei during the G7 summit in France and commended him for promptly addressing the government’s concerns. However, when asked whether he would shut down Anthropic, Trump first said he would not, then added, 'I would do it, but I’m not sure I have to.'
Moreover, during the interview, Trump did not rule out using emergency authorities granted under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to compel Anthropic to cooperate with the government.
This statement indicates that although the White House has temporarily eased its tone, it has not ruled out the possibility of directly intervening in Anthropic—or the broader AI industry—in the future.
Analysts suggest that the sharp shift in Trump’s position on Anthropic within just one week reflects the administration’s effort to reassess the AI sector through a national security lens and strike a balance between maintaining U.S. technological leadership and mitigating risks associated with technology proliferation.
From 'National Security Threat' to 'Very Responsible'
In the interview, when asked whether he believed Anthropic and Amodei posed a threat to U.S. security, Trump replied, 'Not now. But maybe a week ago.'
Trump revealed that he met with Amodei and other tech executives during the G7 summit and considered Anthropic’s swift response to the government’s concerns to be commendable.
Trump stated, "He responded to us very quickly because this involves enormous responsibility."
However, Trump did not entirely dispel concerns.
Trump said he would not shut down Anthropic, stating:
"I could do that, but I’m not sure I have to. I think it has been very responsible so far."
This means that while the White House is not taking further action at present, it retains the option to intervene if necessary.
The U.S. government has imposed its strongest regulatory measures on AI companies to date.
Just days ago, the U.S. Department of Commerce required Anthropic to obtain prior approval from the U.S. government before allowing foreign individuals, businesses, or even foreign governments to use its most advanced Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models.
This is viewed as the most significant intervention by the U.S. government to date in the operations of an artificial intelligence company.
Previous reports indicated that officials within the Trump administration were concerned that the most advanced AI models could become critical strategic assets—similar to nuclear technology and advanced semiconductors—and therefore must be restricted from spreading overseas.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick previously wrote to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, urging the company to tighten controls over the use of its models. Subsequently, Anthropic’s senior executives and technical leaders promptly engaged with Trump administration officials in discussions aimed at alleviating White House concerns about the models’ capabilities and risks related to international proliferation.
In an interview released on Friday, Trump stated, 'We didn’t like some of their previous practices, but they responded very quickly.' He specifically praised Amodei as 'very smart' and said that Anthropic has performed well so far.
AI race takes priority, but the government retains the authority to intervene
Trump emphasized that the United States is leading other countries in the AI race and therefore will not easily restrict the development of domestic companies.
However, this does not mean the government will abandon regulation.
Trump believes the AI field entails 'enormous responsibility,' and the government must ensure the technology remains within controllable bounds.
When discussing the Defense Production Act (DPA), Trump said, 'I have many tools at my disposal,' adding, 'but I’m not certain I’ll need to use it.'
Regarding concerns raised by Amazon, Trump said, 'Amazon reported Anthropic while acting both as a competitor and a partial shareholder. They are dissatisfied with Anthropic’s practices and have expressed deep concern. I believe all parties have handled the matter very responsibly thus far.'
Analysts believe the shift in the Trump administration’s stance toward Anthropic does not signify relaxed oversight, but rather sends a clearer signal: the U.S. will support companies that comply with government requirements; however, if the White House determines that cutting-edge models pose a threat to national security, the government will not hesitate to exercise executive authority to intervene.
Anthropic gains breathing room during critical IPO phase
For Anthropic, Trump’s softened stance comes at just the right time.
Bloomberg reported that Anthropic secretly filed its IPO application documents several weeks ago, with the company’s latest valuation exceeding $900 billion.
Previously, restrictions imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce had sparked market concerns that if the White House continued to view Anthropic as a national security risk, the company’s commercial prospects and IPO plans could be significantly undermined.
Now, Trump has publicly stated that he “does not consider Anthropic a threat,” temporarily alleviating external concerns. However, his remark that he would “take action if necessary” indicates that the regulatory sword hanging over the AI industry has not disappeared.
As the U.S. government increasingly treats the most advanced AI models as strategic national assets, major AI firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google may soon face a regulatory framework similar to that applied to the semiconductor industry. For the Trump administration, ensuring U.S. victory in the AI race is undoubtedly critical, but preventing technology proliferation and managing potential risks are becoming equally high-priority strategic objectives.
Editor/joryn