After the US Defense Secretary designated the AI company as a ‘supply chain risk’ it refused to remove the safeguards on its technology.
Published on 18 March 2026
US President Donald Trump’s administration said in a court filing that the Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic was justified and legal, opposing the artificial intelligence company’s high-stakes lawsuit challenging the decision.
The administration gave its views in a petition filed in the court on Tuesday.
Recommended stories
List of 3 itemsEnd of list
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on March 3 designated Anthropic, maker of the popular AI assistant cloud, as a national security supply chain risk after the company refused to remove guardrails against using its technology for autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance.
The Trump administration’s filing says Anthropic is unlikely to succeed in its claims that the US government’s action violated speech protections under the US Constitution’s First Amendment, saying the dispute arose out of treaty negotiations and national security concerns, not retaliation.
“Only when Anthropic refused to release the restrictions on the use of its products — which is defiant conduct, not protected speech — did the president direct all federal agencies to terminate their business relationships with Anthropic,” the administration’s legal filing said. The filing from the US Department of Justice said, “No one intended to restrict Anthropic’s expressive activity.”
Anthropic’s lawsuit in federal court in California asks a judge to block the Pentagon’s decision while the case plays out. Some legal experts say the company appears to have a strong case for government overreach.
In a statement, Anthropic said it was reviewing the government’s filing. The company said “seeking judicial review does not change our longstanding commitment to using AI to protect our national security, but it is a necessary step to protect our business, our customers and our partners.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Supply chain risk
Trump supported Hegseth’s move to exclude Anthropic from limited military contracts. But it could damage the company’s reputation and cause billions of dollars in losses this year, its executives said.
The designation came after months of negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic reached an impasse, prompting Trump and Hegseth to denounce the company and accuse it of endangering American lives with restrictions on its use.
Anthropic has disputed those claims and said AI is not yet safe enough to be used in autonomous weapons. The company said it opposes domestic surveillance as a matter of principle.
In its March 9 lawsuit, Anthropic said the “unprecedented and illegal” designation violated its free speech and due process rights, as well as a law requiring federal agencies to follow specific procedures when making decisions.
The Pentagon separately designated Anthropic a supply chain risk under a different law that could extend the mandate to the entire government.
Anthropic is challenging that move in a second lawsuit in a Washington, DC, appeals court.
(tags to translate)Economy
