Political Wire

Bill Introduced to Crack Down On Flock Cameras

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“Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are debuting legislation that would crack down on Flock license-plate-reader cameras, part of a bipartisan backlash in recent weeks against the technology,” the Washington Post reports.

”The bill would largely bar the federal government from using the AI-powered cameras or accessing data collected by them. It would also prohibit the Justice Department and other federal agencies from making grants to state and local governments unless they put similar bans in place.”

How Trump Uses AI Chatbots

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Time: “Since returning to office, Trump has marveled at AI’s capabilities. He is increasingly in thrall to the tech executives courting him. In December 2025, Elon Musk returned to the Oval Office for a clandestine meeting. Trump spent hours asking Grok, Musk’s AI chatbot, questions about his presidency and legacy.”

“At the time, Trump was ordering missile strikes against Venezuelan boats he alleged were smuggling drugs into the U.S. He asked Grok how Venezuelans would react if the U.S. captured Maduro. According to the official present, the chatbot responded that Maduro was a repressive and deeply unpopular dictator and that many Venezuelans would likely celebrate his downfall.”

“After Trump ordered the mission to seize Maduro, the following month, celebrations broke out in the streets. Trump, according to officials, came away thinking Grok was ingenious.”

Want Dinner with the President?

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“The crypto firm that runs President Donald Trump’s meme coin is promising to hold ‘the most exclusive dinner in the world,’ raising new ethics concerns about the president’s personal financial entanglements,” the Washington Sun reports.

“In a new page on its website, GetTrumpMemes.com, the crypto firm promises invitations to ‘an evening with 3 Legends and President Donald J. Trump’ for the 185 largest holders of the ‘Trump Coin.'”

Young, Male Crypto Fans Have Turned Against Trump

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Washington Post: “Across Trump’s 11-year political career, his image as a savvy businessman insulated him from charges of corruption and self-dealing. Even moves such as paying no federal income taxes in some years and using government funds to pay his own businesses, which historically might have sunk other politicians, left Trump’s image intact in the eyes of supporters, who saw them as proof of his shrewd dealmaking.”

“Now, as dissatisfaction grows with Trump’s economic performance, questions about how he and his family profit from the presidency have taken on more bite. Some of the loudest complaints are coming from young, male crypto enthusiasts who were initially energized by candidate Trump’s embrace of the industry — and now are better equipped than the average voter to understand the ventures that earned the president $1.4 billion last year.”

FTC Launches Broad Investigation Into Anthropic, OpenAI

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“The Federal Trade Commission has opened a broad investigation into the safety of artificial intelligence systems made by Anthropic and OpenAI, a senior agency official said Wednesday,” the Washington Post reports.

“The investigation could provide backing for the Trump administration’s position that existing laws are sufficient to hold artificial intelligence companies accountable, as officials seek to resist a push by some in the industry and Congress to establish a new system of regulations for the technology.”

Congress Set to Leave Washington with No AI Progress

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“Facing a growing backlash over the boom in data center construction and widespread concern over the safety of artificial intelligence, Congress is set to depart Washington this week ahead of the midterm elections having accomplished nothing to address either issue,” the New York Times reports.

“Eager to show they hear the public alarm over A.I. as they fight to keep their majority, Republicans in the Senate on Wednesday were attempting to bring up a bill intended to insulate Americans from rising electricity costs tied to data centers. But Democrats were expected to block it, noting that the legislation was not enforceable and arguing it would do little to significantly curb energy prices.”

The White House’s AI Bot Is Going Through It

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Rolling Stone: “Donald Trump and his administration are all in on AI — despite the abundance of concern over the adverse effects the technology could have on society … such as the extinction of the human race.”

“Americans shouldn’t worry, though, the president says, because he and a collection of luminaries signed a ‘morally binding’ agreement on Tuesday to behave responsibly. The White House shared the agreement on Wednesday. It spells ‘United States’ wrong.”

“The White House also this week unveiled ‘America.gov,’ a government AI chatbot that promises answers about ‘whatever you need from the government.’ Users immediately started prompting the bot to contradict Trump and his lackeys by asking it questions like ‘Who won the 2020 election?’ and watching it spit out ‘Joseph R. Biden Jr.'”

The Guardian: White House’s AI accord includes spelling error.

Jamie Raskin Probes Secret AI Data Center Deals

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“A Democratic lawmaker wants more information on the secret agreements between tech companies building data centers and local officials approving them, their latest attempt to increase oversight of the facilities powering artificial intelligence and tap in to voters’ AI backlash ahead of the midterm elections,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent letters to Amazon.com, Alphabet’s Google, Meta Platforms and Oracle on Tuesday seeking information on the nondisclosure agreements those companies signed with government officials related to data-center build-outs.”

Quote of the Day

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“They’re cooked. I think Donald Trump is going to tweet five more times that he loves data centers. And that is the official position of their party. This is panic.”

— Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), quoted by Semafor.

Trump Announces Vague ‘Morally Binding’ AI Deal

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“Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the heads of the largest U.S. tech and AI companies had signed onto a ‘morally binding’ agreement to put controls on artificial intelligence,” The Guardian reports.

Said Trump: “It’s almost like a constitution in a way, and the biggest ​people in the world signed that, and ​I signed it as president, and it really ⁠is a form of protection.”

NBC News: Trump says tech companies will “police themselves” amid AI safety warnings.

AI Tool Attempts to Streamline Government Services

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“The Trump administration has built a tool powered by artificial intelligence that its developers promise will serve as a ‘concierge’ to the federal government, as it attempts to modernize the relationship between citizens and the state,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“It will be housed at a website called America.gov, which launches Tuesday, setting up a test for the Trump administration’s digital ambitions.”

Mike Johnson Hopes AI Guardrails Are ‘Voluntary’

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“House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) who is joining a meeting of artificial intelligence officials in Washington later Tuesday, said that he favors ‘striking the right balance’ with the technology and hopes guardrails will be ‘voluntary,'” CNBC reports.

Said Johnson: “I hope it’s voluntary. We’ll find out what comes out of the meeting today. I think that that’s where they’re headed. I think they see the handwriting on the wall, and I think they want to ensure investors, you know, consumers, the American public, that they’re going to do this in a very safe way, and and that will, I think, put us in the right place.”

Financial Times: Trump to meet AI chiefs over safety outcry.

Trump Dined with the Anthropic CEO

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“President Donald Trump had a late dinner Sunday night with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, after Trump spent weeks dismissing Amodei’s calls for the industry to slow down AI development,” the Washington Post reports.

“The dinner was the first one-on-one meeting between the president and the head of Anthropic, one of the country’s leading AI firms, after months of tensions between the company and the administration. Trump has pursued policies to accelerate AI development, while Anthropic has called for greater caution and guardrails.”

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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