A leftist federal judge in San Francisco on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from designating an artificial intelligence company as a national security risk, intervening in a dispute over the military’s use of emerging technology.
U.S. District Judge Rita Lin issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Department of War from designating the AI firm Anthropic a “supply chain risk,” a designation that could have restricted the government’s ability to contract with the company.
The conflict stems from reported disagreements between Anthropic, a Silicon Valley darling known for its “woke” approach to AI safety, and the War Department over how the company’s AI models could be used in military applications, including autonomous systems and surveillance.
According to court filings, the Trump administration argued that restrictions imposed by the company could interfere with military operations and attempted to dictate the terms of military engagement.
Essentially, the administration claims a private vendor tried to tell the Commander-in-Chief how to fight a war. When Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded by labeling the company a national security risk — saying the military cannot have its operational chain of command held hostage by a private company’s “guardrails” — Anthropic ran to the courts, arguing the designation was unjustified.
In her 42-page ruling, Lin characterized the administration’s actions as arbitrary and capricious and “classic First Amendment retaliation.”
Administration officials such as Under Secretary of War Emil Michael criticized the decision, arguing it was filled with factual errors and “a disgrace.”
Lin previously blocked funding cuts targeting UCLA and the University of California system over campus antisemitism.
There are dozens of factual errors in the 42 page judgment rushed out in 48 hours DURING A TIME OF CONFLICT that seeks to upend the @POTUS role as Commander in Chief and disrupt @SecWar full ability to conduct military operations with the partners it chooses. A disgrace. https://t.co/yLNwzVTFmu
— Under Secretary of War Emil Michael (@USWREMichael) March 27, 2026
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