Well, that escalated quickly...
As Ben Smith reported earlier on Friday, the Pentagon and AI giant Anthropic were in the midst of a showdown regarding the deployment terms of its Claude AI model in defense systems. The Pentagon wanted to authorize "all lawful use," but Anthropic had other ideas.
Anthropic has drawn its line at two points: no domestic mass surveillance and no fully autonomous weapons operating without meaningful human oversight. Those limits are already written into its defense agreements. The Pentagon wants broader language that covers “all lawful use” once Claude is embedded.
READ MORE: AI Is Already Embedded in Military Systems - Now the Fight Is Over How Far It Can Go
Now, Experts Are Warning Revolutionary AI Tools Change Everything
Per Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, Anthropic had a deadline of 5:00 PM Eastern Friday to reach a deal.
Under Secretary of War Emil Michael recently told Bloomberg News:
“For any AI system we might use, are we using it to protect our warfighters in the right way? Are we using it to give them the best tools to be efficient and lethal?
"Ultimately, at the end of the day, we follow the law—all laws—but we can’t let any one company stand between us and the warfighter. They don't make the rules. Congress makes the rules, @POTUS signs them, we execute them—and we do so safely."
Under Secretary Emil Michael (@USWREMichael) on the @DeptofWar’s commitment to providing the most efficient AI capabilities to the warfighter:
— Department of War CTO (@DoWCTO) February 27, 2026
“For any AI system we might use, are we using it to protect our warfighters in the right way? Are we using it to give them the best… pic.twitter.com/zRtwHojj6A
Now, however, it looks as though it may be too late. President Trump issued a statement via Truth Social on Friday afternoon that basically says of Anthropic, "Dead to me."
Trump is ordering all federal agencies to "IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology," referring to the company as "A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY" and "Leftwing nut jobs," and declaring that they've made "a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War."
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 27, 2026
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS! That decision belongs to YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our Military.
The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY.
Therefore, 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! There will be a Six Month phase out period for Agencies like the Department of War who are using Anthropic’s products, at various levels. Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow.
WE will decide the fate of our Country — NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
That looks to be rather definitive. I guess we'll see...
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