Trump tells Axios he no longer views Anthropic as national security threat

Former President Donald Trump has made a striking U-turn, publicly declaring that AI firm Anthropic is no longer considered a national security threat, a dramatic shift after his administration had previously enforced an unprecedented export ban on the company's most advanced models. This reversal follows Anthropic swift compliance with a June 12, 2026, U.S. Commerce Department directive that barred foreign access to its powerful Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models due to a critical 'jailbreak' vulnerability. Trump's change of heart comes after a meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei at the recent G7 Summit in France, where he acknowledged the company's 'responsible' response to the government's concerns. The saga between the Trump administration and Anthropic has been escalating for months, marked by deep disagreements over AI policy and national security implications. In March 2026, the Pentagon designated Anthropic a 'supply-chain risk' after the company resisted removing safety guardrails from its military-facing products, specifically those related to surveillance and autonomous weapons systems. The Commerce Department's subsequent export controls on Fable 5 and Mythos 5, triggered by fears of foreign adversaries exploiting a security flaw to identify software vulnerabilities, represented the first time such measures were directly applied to AI models themselves, sending shockwaves through the tech industry and raising concerns among U.S. allies. While Trump's public statement signals a thawing in relations, the formal Commerce Department directive and the Pentagon supply-chain designation technically remain in effect as of Friday. Trump indicated he would consider easing restrictions but stopped short of a firm commitment, leaving the specifics of future policy adjustments somewhat ambiguous. The episode underscores the ongoing tension between rapid AI innovation and government efforts to mitigate national security risks, setting a critical precedent for how advanced AI capabilities will be regulated and controlled in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. Observers will be watching closely for concrete policy changes and Anthropic next moves regarding its model safeguards.