Donald Trump Orders Federal Agencies to Halt Use of Anthropic AI; Pentagon Given Six Months to Comply

US President Donald Trump has ordered every federal department to stop using Anthropic's artificial intelligence systems, deepening a clash with the Pentagon over AI safety rules. Most agencies must cut ties at once, while the Defence Department has six months to strip Anthropic tools from its classified and operational networks.

Trump said the directive is compulsory across the United States government and framed it as permanent. On Truth Social, Trump wrote, "I am directing every federal agency in the United States government to immediately cease all use of Anthropic's technology. We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again!"

Trump Anthropic AI ban over Pentagon dispute

The move follows a heated stand-off between Pentagon officials and Anthropic over how its Claude AI system may be used in military settings. Washington had set a Friday deadline for Anthropic to permit unrestricted military deployment, even when such use conflicted with the company’s ethical standards, or face compulsion under emergency federal powers.

A day before Trump’s order, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei said the company would not relax its guardrails for the Pentagon. Amodei stated that broad domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons systems fall beyond what Anthropic considers technically safe and ethically acceptable. "We cannot in good conscience accede to their request," Amodei said.

Trump Anthropic AI ban and national security concerns

Amodei added that Anthropic supports responsible uses of AI to aid US security but insisted Claude still needs human supervision when lives are at stake. According to Amodei, current AI tools are "simply not reliable enough" to remove people from lethal targeting chains, even when military planners argue for faster automated responses.

Trump presented his instruction as both a national security safeguard and a statement of presidential control over war policy. "The United States of America will never allow a radical left, woke company to dictate how our great military fights and wins wars!" Trump wrote, adding, "That decision belongs to your Commander-in-Chief, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our military,"

Trump Anthropic AI ban timeline and key details

The Republican leader also accused Anthropic of attempting to sway the Department of War during the dispute. Trump said, "The company's actions were putting American lives at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in jeopardy." Trump warned that Anthropic "better get their act together" during the phase-out period or risk heavy "civil and criminal consequences."

Officials have not yet released detailed legal documents supporting Trump’s order or the exact schedule for removing Anthropic software from defence networks. However, CNN reported that the Pentagon and Anthropic remain divided over limits on using Claude, described as the first AI system integrated into the military’s classified infrastructure, underscoring how sensitive AI safety debates have become inside US security agencies.

Key aspect	Details
Order issued by	US President Donald Trump
Targeted company	Anthropic
Main AI system involved	Claude
Scope of Trump Anthropic AI ban	All US federal departments and agencies
Pentagon grace period	Six months to remove Anthropic technology
Core dispute	AI safety rules and restrictions on military use
Potential penalties warned by Trump	Civil and criminal consequences for Anthropic

The order leaves Anthropic’s future role in US defence projects uncertain while signalling that the White House prioritises unconstrained military access to AI tools over company-imposed safeguards. With the Pentagon still relying on Claude during the six-month transition, both sides remain locked in a policy dispute that centres on how far AI should go inside high-risk defence operations.