Donald Trump on Friday ordered all federal agencies to immediately stop using technology from AI company Anthropic, escalating a public clash between the White House and the firm over military use of artificial intelligence.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he directed "EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic's technology."
He added, "We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again!"
The decision follows a dispute between Anthropic and the Pentagon over how its AI chatbot, Claude, can be used by the US military.
The Defense Department had given the company until 5:01 p.m. Eastern Time Friday to remove safeguards that limit how the system can be deployed in classified settings, NY Post reported.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said Thursday that the company "cannot in good conscience accede" to the Pentagon's demands.
Anthropic has objected to allowing its technology to be used for mass surveillance of Americans or for fully autonomous weapons that can fire without human control.
Trump orders federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's AI models, says 'leftwing nut jobs' made 'disastrous mistake' https://t.co/p8yq9NoneP pic.twitter.com/umBnQbI68u
— New York Post (@nypost) February 27, 2026
Donald Trump Orders 6-Month Anthropic Phase-Out
The Pentagon has said it would only use AI in lawful ways and insisted the disagreement was not about violating the company's "red lines."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly warned that the military needed unrestricted access for legal defense purposes.
Trump announced there will be a six-month phase-out period for the Pentagon and other agencies currently using Anthropic's models.
The company signed a $200 million contract with the Pentagon last July.
During the transition, Trump warned he would use the "Full Power of the Presidency" to ensure compliance, with "major civil and criminal consequences" if the company resists.
According to AP News, Hegseth also labeled Anthropic a "supply chain risk," a designation typically used for foreign adversaries.
Anthropic said in a statement Friday evening that it would challenge what it called an unprecedented and legally unsound action.
The dispute intensified earlier this year after Claude was reportedly used in an operation to arrest Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.
Pentagon officials claimed Anthropic had raised concerns with contractor Palantir about how the AI was deployed. Amodei denied that anyone at the company made such a complaint.
Originally published on vcpost.com
