AI Companies Hire Former Trump Officials to Strengthen Ties with U.S. Government

Oct 9, 2026

AI Summary

Anthropic and OpenAI are hiring former officials from the Trump administration to enhance their relationships with the U.S. government amid increasing scrutiny of the AI sector. These appointments come as AI is increasingly viewed as a national security concern, prompting companies to seek influence in Washington.

Anthropic has appointed at least two former Trump officials, including a board member and the head of frontier compute strategy.
OpenAI has hired at least three former Trump administration officials for roles in strategy and special projects.
The AI sector is focusing on building ties with the government due to calls for regulation and cybersecurity concerns.
Michelle Nie Duncan noted that companies recognize the Trump administration's influence over federal procurement and supply-chain issues.
Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei has been working to improve relations with the Trump administration after previous tensions.
Sihao Huang, previously a senior policy advisor at the White House, joined Anthropic to lead infrastructure expansion.
OpenAI hired Thomas Lind, who led AI policy at the Office of the National Cyber Director, to focus on cyber and strategic risk.
Dean Ball, involved in drafting the Trump administration's AI Action Plan, joined OpenAI to address strategic futures.
Both companies are actively hiring for political engagement roles as they prepare for potential IPOs.

politicsnational securityai industryopenaianthropic

AI Companies Hire Former Trump Officials to Strengthen Ties with U.S. Government

Related Stories

Former Biosecurity Official Highlights AI Risks and Calls for Stronger Safeguards

UK Government to Limit Non-Compete Clauses Following Startup Concerns

Japan Calls for Security Reviews Amid Surge in Cyberattacks on Companies

OpenAI's Asia-Pacific Policy Executive Sanghyun Lee to Depart After Six Months