Trump delays AI security executive order: ‘I don’t want to get in the way of that leading’

President Donald Trump has chosen to delay the signing of an executive order aimed at permitting the government to assess artificial intelligence models prior to their public release. During a meeting with the White House press pool, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with specific wording in the order, stating, "I didn’t like certain aspects of it. We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that leading." Reports suggest that the postponement was also influenced by the absence of key technology CEOs who were unable to travel to Washington, D.C. on short notice, raising questions about the timing of the executive order signing, which is often accompanied by a photo opportunity. The executive order in question was expected to direct the Office of the National Cyber Director, along with various agencies, to establish protocols for evaluating AI models for security issues before they hit the market. This initiative comes in light of rising concerns following the releases of Anthropic’s Mythos and OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 Cyber, both of which can swiftly identify and exploit security vulnerabilities. A significant point of contention in the proposed order’s language, as reported by CNN, is a requirement for AI companies to submit advanced models for governmental review between 14 and 90 days before their launch. Trump indicated that the current phrasing of the executive order could potentially serve as a barrier to progress, leading to his decision to delay its signing.