Trump's Anthropic Blacklist Blocked by Federal Judge

A federal judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump never possessed the statutory power to place AI startup Anthropic on a government blacklist, a decision that upends the administration’s earlier justification for the move. The case hinges on whether the Department of War’s internal memo, which labeled the company a “supply chain risk,” was based on legitimate security concerns or on the firm’s public criticism of federal contracting practices. Plaintiffs argue the designation was a pretext, pointing to a pattern of press coverage that cast the agency in an unfavorable light.

Legal scholar Lin, representing the challengers, frames the dispute as more than a bureaucratic slip‑up; it touches on the core question of whether the government can silence dissent by weaponizing procurement rules. The judge’s opinion, issued this week, notes that the executive order cited by the White House lacks the authority required to impose such a sanction. As the courtroom drama unfolds, the next point of contention will be the agency’s own records.

Instead, "the Department of War's records show that it designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk because of its 'hostile manner through the press.'" "Punishing Anthropic for bringing public scrutiny to the government's contracting position is classic illegal First Amendment retaliation," Lin said.