President Trump orders federal agencies to stop using Anthropic after Pentagon dispute

In Brief Posted: 1:53 PM PST · February 27, 2026 Russell Brandom President Trump orders federal agencies to stop using Anthropic after Pentagon dispute In a post on Truth Social, President Trump directed federal agencies to cease use of all Anthropic products after the company’s public dispute with the Department of Defense . The president allowed for a six-month phase-out period for departments using the products, but emphasized that Anthropic was no longer welcome as a federal contractor. “We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again,” the president wrote in the post. Notably, the post does not mention any plans to invoke the Defense Production Act or designate Anthropic as a supply chain risk. Instead, the President urged the company to be helpful during the six-month phase out period, threatening “major civil and criminal consequences” if it did not. The dispute centered on Anthropic’s refusal to allow its AI models to be used to power either mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons, which Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth found unduly restrictive. CEO Dario Amodei reiterated his stance in a public post on Thursday , refusing to compromise on the two points. “Our strong preference is to continue to serve the Department and our warfighters — with our two requested safeguards in place,” Amodei wrote at the time. “Should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions.” Techcrunch event Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit 1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediately. Offer ends March 13. Sa...