The US president indicated on CNBC that Anthropic is making progress after a meeting at the White House, where CEO Dario Amodei discussed the Mythos AI model with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The ongoing legal dispute over the Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic is unresolved, with courts delivering conflicting rulings. President Donald Trump mentioned a potential agreement for Anthropic’s AI models to be used by the Department of Defense, describing the company as “shaping up,” following discussions with them at the White House. Previously, Trump had ordered all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology. The White House meeting on April 18 addressed Anthropic’s Mythos model, a cybersecurity-capable AI system limited to a few organizations. It was called “productive and constructive” by the White House, and Amodei discussed collaboration on priorities like cybersecurity and AI safety. Trump was unaware of Amodei’s White House visit when questioned later. The meeting occurred amid strained relations between Washington and the tech sector. In 2025, Anthropic had a $200 million Pentagon contract, but negotiations ceased when the Pentagon demanded unrestricted model access. Anthropic refused use in autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk, generally reserved for foreign security threats. Trump reinforced this with a directive to federal agencies. Anthropic argued in court against this unprecedented move, gaining an injunction in San Francisco, while the appeals court in DC allowed the risk designation. Anthropic can work with non-Pentagon agencies, and the DOD uses Claude during the US-Iran conflict. The posture shift may relate to Mythos, currently tested by intelligence agencies. Protocols for federal agency access are underway. Treasury Secretary Bessent’s involvement indicated the economic relevance of Mythos at senior levels. A source stressed the importance of not neglecting the technological advances Mythos offers. Uncertainty remains over reviving the Anthropic–Pentagon relationship. Despite positive talks, no deal is finalized, and the risk designation remains. Anthropic has enlisted Ballard Partners for lobbying and is considering an IPO with its annual revenue at $30 billion, though the risk designation affects credibility.
Trump Says Anthropic Pentagon Deal is ‘Possible’, Weeks After Blacklisting the Company as a National Security Risk
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