Trump AI Order Sets Up Fight Over State Laws: California Brief

December 12, 2025, 3:01 PM UTC
President Donald Trump was accompanied by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), left, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnic
President Donald Trump was accompanied by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), left, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Photographer: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg

President Donald Trump signed an order aimed at thwarting state-level regulation of artificial intelligence through lawsuits and funding cuts, handing a win to tech industry leaders who’ve pressed for preemption of local rules, Skylar Woodhouse, Emily Birnbaum, and Hadriana Lowenkron report.

Trump said the measure was necessary to bolster the emerging technology and counter a patchwork of state-level rules the industry worries will hamper its growth.

“You have to have a central source of approval when they need approval. So things have to come to one source. They can’t go to California, New York and various other places,” ...

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