Trump-appointed judges refuse to block Trump blacklisting of Anthropic AI tech

In a significant legal development, a federal appeals court has decided not to block the Trump administration's actions against Anthropic, an AI technology company. The court rejected the company’s request for an emergency stay, but it has agreed to expedite the proceedings, scheduling oral arguments for May 19. This ruling comes from a panel of judges on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, all appointed by Republican presidents, including Trump appointees Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao. Katsas previously served as a deputy counsel during Trump's first term, while Rao was part of the administration’s Office of Management and Budget. The decision represents a challenge for Anthropic, which has filed two lawsuits against the Trump administration. In its defense, Anthropic argues that it was exercising its First Amendment rights by prohibiting the use of its Claude AI models for military applications such as autonomous warfare and mass surveillance. The firm claims that the blacklisting was retaliatory, initiated by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who directed federal agencies to cease using Anthropic’s technology, labeling it a "Supply-Chain Risk to National Security." The court noted that while Anthropic is likely to face some degree of irreparable harm without a stay—primarily of a financial nature—it also mentioned that the company has not sufficiently demonstrated that its freedoms of speech have been hindered during the litigation process. In a separate legal action, Anthropic has also pursued a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. There, a federal judge recently granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Anthropic, describing the blacklisting as a violation of First Amendment rights. The Trump administration is now appealing this ruling in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.