Anthropic Builds Presidential Team Ahead of 2028 Race

Anthropic is gearing up for the 2028 election. They hired a new Political Programs lead to take charge. This person will handle the whole presidential outreach push. The role involves studying both major parties, teaching AI policy to candidates, and getting executives ready for talks.

What makes this move stand out? Most tech firms lobby Congress through standard channels. OpenAI follows a similar pattern. But Anthropic is creating its own in-house team specifically for presidential engagement. Experts see this as a bold step toward influencing government policy directly.

The company has a complicated history with the Trump administration. In March, the Pentagon flagged them as a supply chain risk after disagreements over military applications. Meanwhile, CEO Dario Amodei pushes for slower AI development to improve safety. He also supports strong government regulation. President Trump disagrees, wanting to keep pace with China in the AI race.

Analysts call this unusual compared to typical corporate lobbying. Some worry it could help shape regulations rather than just inform them. Others note that politics is already central to Anthropic's identity. OpenAI operates more subtly through indirect means. The timing coincides with potential stock market events around a possible $2 trillion valuation.