Hegseth, Trump had no authority to order Anthropic to be blacklisted, judge says

A landmark ruling deals a severe blow to executive overreach, stripping Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and former President Donald Trump of authority to blacklist AI firm Anthropic. Federal Judge Sarah Thompson found their directive lacked any statutory or constitutional basis, citing a precedent that limits unilateral tech sanctions. The decision invalidates a 2025 order that would have barred Anthropic from $4 billion in federal contracts, protecting the company's ability to compete for military AI projects. Data shows the order targeted Anthropic alone among AI leaders, singling it out despite no evidence of wrongdoing.