Anthropic’s ties with the Trump administration appear to be improving

Anthropic is reportedly maintaining active engagement with senior members of the Trump administration, even as it continues to face tensions with the Pentagon over its designation as a supply-chain risk.

Earlier signals suggested a softening stance within parts of the U.S. government, with reports indicating that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell encouraged major financial institutions to evaluate Anthropic’s new Mythos model.

Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark appeared to confirm this evolving relationship, describing the ongoing dispute over the Pentagon designation as a “narrow contracting dispute” that would not prevent the company from briefing government officials on its latest AI systems.

Further developments emerged on Friday, when Axios reported that Bessent and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles had met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. The White House later described the meeting as “introductory” and “productive and constructive.”

According to the White House statement, discussions focused on potential collaboration and shared frameworks to address challenges associated with the rapid scaling of advanced AI systems. “We discussed opportunities for collaboration, as well as shared approaches and protocols to address the challenges associated with scaling this technology,” the statement said.

Anthropic also confirmed the meeting, stating that Amodei held “productive discussions” with senior administration officials regarding cooperation on key areas, including cybersecurity, maintaining the United States’ leadership in AI development, and advancing AI safety standards. The company added that it intends to continue these discussions.

The current tensions stem from earlier negotiations between Anthropic and the Pentagon regarding the military’s use of its AI models. The company sought to impose safeguards limiting the use of its technology in fully autonomous weapons systems and large-scale domestic surveillance applications. In contrast, the Pentagon pushed for broader access, leading to a breakdown in negotiations. OpenAI subsequently secured its own military-related agreement, which triggered public criticism in some circles.

Following the breakdown in talks, the Pentagon classified Anthropic as a supply-chain risk — a designation typically reserved for foreign adversaries and one that could significantly restrict government use of its technology. Anthropic has since challenged this classification in court.

Despite the dispute, reporting suggests that much of the broader U.S. administration is more open to working with the company. According to an Axios source, “every agency” except the Department of Defence is interested in using Anthropic’s technology, indicating a divided stance within government circles over how to engage with the AI firm.