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Trump Anthropic directive
President Donald Trump posted a directive ordering all federal agencies to 'immediately cease' using AI technology from Anthropic and announced a phased six-month off-boarding for agencies that now rely on the company's tools, warning of possible civil and criminal measures if Anthropic does not comply.
“President Donald Trump ordered all federal agencies to immediately stop using AI technology from Anthropic, saying the government "doesn't need it" and will not do business with the company.”
Multiple outlets described the move as an abrupt, administration-wide ban.
The BBC reported the president saying the government 'doesn't need it' and 'will not do business with the company.'
ABC News said Trump gave agencies a six-month phase-out and warned he could use presidential powers including civil and criminal measures.
CNBC noted the immediate cessation order with the same six-month window for agencies such as the Pentagon.
Anthropic-Pentagon dispute
The administration’s demand and Anthropic’s refusal stem from a contract dispute over "red lines" the company placed on military use of its Claude model.
Anthropic sought contractual prohibitions on mass domestic surveillance of U.S. citizens and on use in fully autonomous weapons, saying proposed Pentagon language would allow those safeguards to be ignored.
South China Morning Post reported the action followed Anthropic’s refusal to permit unconditional military use of Claude.
CNN summarized that the standoff centered on Anthropic’s red lines against mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.
NPR noted Anthropic’s insistence that its models not be used for domestic mass surveillance or fully autonomous targeting.
Pentagon action on Anthropic
The Pentagon designated Anthropic a "supply-chain risk," a label typically reserved for foreign or adversary firms.
“- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic a national‑security “supply‑chain risk,” telling defense contractors they may not use Anthropic’s models. He said the designation is final but allowed up to six months of continued service to enable a transition.”
Officials threatened additional measures, including invoking the Defense Production Act.
The company’s work on classified networks and its reported contract ceiling amplified the stakes.
ABC and NPR both reported the supply-chain-risk label and the six-month off-boarding window.
CNN and CBS noted that Anthropic’s Claude was used on Pentagon classified networks under a contract worth up to $200 million.
International Business Times UK described the blacklisting and the risk that defense contractors would be barred from using Anthropic’s tools.
Anthropic's response to designation
Anthropic publicly rejected the administration’s actions.
It called any supply-chain designation legally unsound and said it would challenge the move in court.
It offered to help transition systems during a phase-out.
ABC News reported Anthropic’s pledge to legally challenge the designation and to aid a transition.
CBS News said Anthropic vowed to challenge the supply-chain designation in court.
KTVN and CNBC recorded CEO Dario Amodei saying the company could not in "good conscience" allow unlimited military use and that Anthropic preferred negotiated safeguards.
Political and industry reactions
The confrontation drew sharp political and industry responses.
“Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, criticized President Trump’s order to stop federal agencies from using a leading U.S. AI company, saying the directive and the president’s rhetoric create doubts about whether national security choices are driven by analysis or politics.”
Some national-security figures warned the rhetoric risks politicizing security choices.
Parts of the tech community and rival firms lined up on opposite sides.
Al Jazeera quoted Sen. Mark Warner criticizing the order and saying it raises doubts about whether national security choices are driven by analysis or politics.
CNBC and NPR reported Warner’s sharp criticism and noted OpenAI’s Sam Altman saying his deal with the Defense Department enshrined safety principles similar to Anthropic’s red lines.
Outlets reported that Elon Musk publicly attacked Anthropic and sided with the administration.
CNN and others warned that cutting ties could disrupt Pentagon systems that already rely on Claude.