President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Thursday to establish a national framework for AI regulation—aimed at stopping left-leaning states from imposing what the administration calls “onerous” and innovation-killing laws. The order warns that if each of the 50 states sets its own AI rules, America’s leadership in artificial intelligence could collapse under bureaucracy and ideology.
The executive order directs multiple federal agencies to act. The Attorney General will form an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge any state AI laws deemed unconstitutional or harmful to innovation. The Commerce Secretary will review state-level AI regulations and withhold Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding from states enforcing burdensome AI rules. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are also instructed to block state efforts to require AI models to include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming that may violate federal law.
The move follows a White House report highlighting that over 1,000 AI bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the country, creating what the administration calls a dangerous “patchwork” of laws. The report specifically names California and Colorado for trying to embed political ideology and censorship into AI systems, warning this could cripple free innovation.
In a Truth Social post, President Trump stated, “There must be only One Rulebook if we are going to continue to lead in AI… THAT WILL NEVER WORK!” He emphasized the need for a unified national policy and warned that overregulation from “bad actor” states could “destroy AI in its infancy.”
The order also calls for the creation of a national legislative AI framework to preempt state laws that restrict AI development.
Conservatives and industry leaders applauded the move. Nathan Leamer of Build American AI praised the policy, stating it “provides the clarity that entrepreneurs and consumers have been asking for.” Tech investor Marc Andreessen added, “A 50-state patchwork is a startup killer.”
Wes Hodges of the Heritage Foundation supported a unified federal standard but warned it must include real protections against Big Tech overreach. Meanwhile, critics from child advocacy groups like the Heat Initiative argue the order could remove effective tools states use to protect children online.
The administration maintains that national consistency is critical to remaining competitive in a global race for AI dominance and to avoid strangling U.S. innovation with red tape.
