Lutnick: Anthropic is "back on the right side" with Trump administration
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Tom Brown and Howard Lutnick at the G20 Innovation Ministerial on Sept. 2. Photo: Matt RAMEY / AFP via Getty Images
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration now trusts Anthropic following months of clashes with the AI company.
Why it matters: The statement marks a remarkable turnaround in a relationship strained by a bitter fight over national security and AI safeguards.
What they're saying: Asked if he trusts Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Lutnick told Axios' Mike Allen: "We trust Anthropic."
- "They've done what we asked. They're back on the right side. So the answer is: Yes," Lutnick said in an interview on Tuesday.
The big picture: The declaration comes as Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown takes a more prominent role in the company's relationship with the White House, including a headlining spot at this week's G20 Innovation Ministerial.
- "Really excited for our conversation, so I'd like to introduce you all to Tom Brown, one of the founders of Anthropic," Lutnick said on Wednesday to a room full of G20 ministers.
- Lutnick kicked off the discussion offering Brown an opportunity to introduce himself to an international audience: "I don't think they know you so well. Anthropic, of course, is famous, but a little story helps."
What they're saying: Brown praised President Trump's pro-data center post on Truth Social this week.
- "I really love Trump's post from earlier this week... where he was pointing out that the data centers are just an enormous source of prosperity," Brown said.
- "They produce a ton of jobs. They produce taxes. Now the way that we design them, we actually bring on more power to the grid," he said.
- Brown also highlighted Anthropic's support for the administration's ratepayer pledge.
Between the lines: Industry knows aligning with the Trump administration goes a long way for policy priorities.
Catch up quick: Personality differences added fuel to the fire in a clash between the Trump administration and Anthropic earlier this year that resulted in sweeping export controls on the company's most advanced models.
- Brown was instrumental in patching up the relationship, holding multiple conversations with Lutnick and National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross.
- A federal judge in August, meanwhile, struck down the Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, ruling that the government's actions violated Anthropic's constitutional rights.
- The company is also fighting a separate Pentagon designation under a different statute in the D.C. Circuit.
The bottom line: Brown offers a reset for a company once on the outs with the White House.
