Trump Meets Anthropic After Claude Blacklist

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday to discuss the company’s new Mythos AI model, according to multiple reports.

The meeting occurred less than two months after President Donald Trump blacklisted Anthropic’s Claude AI model, declaring it a national security risk and stating his administration would “not do business with them again.”

The White House described the talks as “productive and constructive,” focusing on opportunities for collaboration and shared approaches to address challenges in scaling AI technology while balancing innovation and safety.

We discussed opportunities for collaboration, as well as shared approaches and protocols to address the challenges associated with scaling this technology,” the White House said in a statement on Friday. “The conversation also explored the balance between advancing innovation and ensuring safety.

White House statement

Anthropic similarly characterized the meeting as productive, noting discussions covered cybersecurity, America’s lead in the AI race and AI safety, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to engaging with the U.S. Government on responsible AI development.

The meeting reflected Anthropic’s ongoing commitment to engaging with the U.S. Government on the development of responsible AI. We are grateful for their time and are looking forward to continuing these discussions,” the spokesperson said.

Anthropic spokesperson

When asked about the meeting, President Trump told reporters he had “no idea” Amodei was there, responding “Who?” before stating he was unaware of the visit.

The meeting took place amid an ongoing legal battle between Anthropic and the Trump administration over the blacklisting of its Claude AI model, with the Pentagon having previously used Claude on its classified network before the restriction.

Anthropic’s Mythos model, announced earlier this month, was described by officials as capable of identifying cybersecurity threats but also presenting potential risks if misused, underscoring the dual-use nature of advanced AI systems.

The discussions signal a potential thaw in relations between the White House and Anthropic following the earlier blacklisting, with both sides expressing willingness to continue dialogue on AI development and safety protocols.