Trump Axes New Federal AI Regulations Amid Industry Lobbying
President Donald Trump hosted over two dozen Silicon Valley executives at the White House on September 29, and the meeting resulted in a clear verdict: no new federal AI regulations will be implemented. This decision comes after tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang lobbied against a proposed regulatory body for AI.
The administration has taken multiple steps to reduce barriers to AI advancement since 2025. In May 2026, the administration scrapped a more stringent regulatory draft after industry stakeholders pushed back hard. On June 2, 2026, Trump signed an executive order establishing a voluntary 30-day review framework for certain advanced AI models.
The proposed FINRA-style regulatory body would have been industry-funded but federally sanctioned. This structure was met with strong opposition from the tech industry, who argued that existing authorities wielded by the Department of Justice and the FBI are sufficient to handle risks associated with artificial intelligence.