The Trump administration has blocked overseas access to Anthropic’s most powerful AI models, the latest salvo in an increasingly bitter standoff between the White House and one of the world’s leading AI companies.
How we got here
The roots of this dispute trace back to early 2026, when the administration requested unrestricted military use of Anthropic’s AI models, most notably Claude. Anthropic declined, citing concerns about removing safety measures designed to prevent misuse in military applications and surveillance.
On February 27, 2026, President Trump directed all federal agencies to “immediately cease” using Anthropic technology. The Pentagon was given a six-month phase-out period to transition away from the company’s tools.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth classified Anthropic as a “supply chain risk,” a designation normally reserved for foreign adversaries like companies linked to the Chinese military. That classification effectively barred military contractors from doing any business with Anthropic.
