Overview
- Trump posted on Truth Social that he will issue an executive order to create a single federal rulebook for AI, arguing a 50‑state approval process would “destroy” the technology in its infancy.
- Drafts reported by multiple outlets indicate the order would direct the Justice Department to form an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge state laws and could tie some federal funds to limits on state AI regulation.
- White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Trump reviewed a near‑final draft and that the order will assert one set of rules for AI companies operating in the United States.
- The push follows Congress’ refusal to enshrine federal preemption, including a 99–1 Senate vote removing a 10‑year moratorium on state AI laws and the absence of preemption language in the defense bill.
- The plan faces resistance from Republicans such as Ron DeSantis, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Marco Rubio, along with safety, labor, and consumer groups, as legal observers question whether an executive order can override state protections like California transparency measures and Tennessee’s ELVIS Act.