President Donald Trump has spent much of his second term championing a hands-off approach to artificial intelligence regulation. But that stance may be shifting, with. Amid growing concerns about AI’s rapid expansion, reports suggest the administration is weighing new oversight measures — including a possible executive order that would create a formal working group to steer federal AI policy.
Why Is Trump Pivoting on AI Regulation?
Anthropic released a powerful model called Claude Mythos in April 2026, which exposed thousands of vulnerabilities in major software. While Trump has favored AI deregulation in his second term, he is reportedly considering an executive order that would establish a formal process for vetting AI models before they’re publicly released. This way, companies can continue developing models without unintentionally creating security issues.
Whether or not to impose guardrails around AI has been a hot topic in the United States for a long time, with 80 percent of U.S. adults prioritizing rules for data security and AI safety over fast-paced innovation, according to a 2025 Gallup poll. But this is the first time Trump seems to be listening to Americans’ anxieties, raising the question of what this could mean for an AI industry that has enjoyed a relatively chummy relationship with the White House thus far.
What Is Trump’s Track Record on AI Regulation?
Even before reclaiming the presidency, Trump distinguished himself as a candidate by promising to deregulate AI. And so far he has made good on his promise. Shortly after returning to office, he repealed former President Biden’s executive order that aimed to set guidelines around AI safety, replacing it with his own order to remove “barriers” to AI development in the U.S.
Trump’s initial attempt to prevent further AI regulations was thwarted when the U.S. Senate removed a key provision banning state laws on AI from his “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” Act. He quickly followed this up by releasing an AI Action Plan that called for scaling back federal regulations to spur the construction of new data centers and ramp up American AI exports. Taking it a step further, Trump signed an executive order at the end of 2025, directly threatening states that planned to maintain their rules on the technology.
These actions set the stage for Trump to propose a national AI framework that would replace any state laws with a single federal rule. The problem is that the framework offers little guidance on how the government should regulate the technology. While it touches on topics like children’s digital privacy, copyright laws and workforce training, much of the language is vague and fails to specify the steps Congress should take to implement the framework’s measures
In short, Trump has largely sacrificed guardrails in the name of spurring on American tech innovation to win the global AI race. That makes his pivot to government oversight even more surprising, reflecting just how rapidly the American AI industry is progressing.
Why Has Trump’s Stance on AI Regulation Shifted?
The AI industry entered new territory when Anthropic announced Claude Mythos, its most advanced large language model yet. Possessing unprecedented coding and reasoning abilities, the model exposed tens of thousands of software vulnerabilities, including many that had gone undetected for decades. At this rate, revealing these bugs all at once would make it impossible for software teams to perform patches before they’re exploited. Rather than chance a nightmare scenario, Anthropic chose to hold off on publicly releasing Mythos for now.
Although the Pentagon had already blacklisted Anthropic for refusing to grant unconditional access to its Claude models, the noise around Mythos became too loud to ignore. Trump officials met with CEO Dario Amodei to discuss how the model could support national security efforts, potentially opening the door to reconciliation.
That doesn’t mean that Trump approves of Mythos being released broadly. In fact, the cybersecurity risks posed by the model may be the tipping point that forces Trump to embrace a more hands-on approach with artificial intelligence.
How Does Trump Plan to Regulate AI Models?
Google DeepMind, xAI and Microsoft have already agreed to allow the U.S. government to test future models before they’re released. Still, Trump may go further and sign an executive order that creates a working group composed of government officials and tech leaders. The group would develop formal procedures for vetting AI models and decide which government agencies should be involved in this process.
At the moment, Trump has made no official announcement regarding an executive order or an AI working group. It’s difficult to imagine him completely overhauling his overall strategy as well, given his past actions that have made AI an integral part of the government’s business portfolio, workforce development plans and its very own internal operations. That said, Trump may have no choice but to establish stronger guidelines in the face of increasingly powerful models, especially as anti-AI sentiment continues to grow in the United States.
What Could This Mean for the AI Industry?
News of a potential executive order promoting AI regulations immediately drew positive reactions. A national poll by Morning Consult found that 47 percent of Republican voters “strongly support” Trump’s plan to test AI models before public release, compared to just 5 percent who “strongly oppose” it. More than 70 percent also believe in legally mandatory testing done by an independent party. Meanwhile, another poll by the Institute for Family Studies found that more than 80 percent of Americans supported Trump’s plan.
The backlash against AI has become a rare unifier across the political spectrum, culminating in data center moratoriums, pro-regulation super PACs and even a letter from Congress urging Trump to address the security threats posed by advanced models like Mythos. With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, Trump may feel the pressure of Americans’ discontent with AI and decide to draw harder boundaries around the technology.
For their part, tech companies are aware that their models present new dangers and are already taking steps to mitigate the risks. Anthropic released Claude Mythos only to a set of trusted partners for initial testing, given the security concerns surrounding it. And OpenAI did the same when unveiling its GPT-5.4-Cyber model.
Limited rollouts will likely become the standard among AI leaders, but they should also expect their models to undergo federal testing in the near future. These measures are bound to be viewed as necessary as the AI race heats up, especially in light of U.S. companies accusing their Chinese counterparts of illegally using their models to train their own. Artificial intelligence has officially become a matter of national security, making it only a matter of time before Trump must adjust his approach to balance tech innovation with the appropriate safeguards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Trump’s stance been on AI regulation?
President Trump has promoted a deregulatory vision for artificial intelligence in his second term. After repealing former President Biden’s executive order on AI safety, he proposed an AI Action Plan that called for fewer rules and passed an executive order attempting to ban state laws on the technology. In 2026, he passed an AI framework designed to replace state laws with a single federal rule, although it contained vague language that was light on details.
Why might Trump pivot toward more AI oversight?
Anthropic released a large language model called Claude Mythos, which displays advanced coding and reasoning abilities. The problem is that the model has exposed thousands of vulnerabilities in widely used software, prompting bipartisan calls for stronger regulations. Given that the general public also supports greater oversight, Trump may have no choice but to establish firm rules for AI companies to follow.
What oversight measures is Trump considering?
Trump is considering signing an executive order that would create a working group to spearhead AI oversight measures. The body would consist of government officials and tech leaders, who would decide which government agencies should be involved in the process and ensure procedures are established to vet AI models before public release.
