Trump Meets OpenAI CEO at GOP Convention Amid Growing Relationship
The relationship between OpenAI and the White House has grown closer in recent years, with CEO Sam Altman meeting with President Donald Trump at a Republican convention. This marks one of several interactions between the two since at least mid-2024, when Altman began engaging with Trump and senior GOP figures on AI policy.
In January 2025, Trump hosted Altman at the White House to announce the Stargate AI infrastructure project, a massive initiative involving hundreds of billions of dollars in investment aimed at building out the physical backbone needed for US competitiveness in artificial intelligence.
Altman has also been meeting with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including a session with House Speaker Mike Johnson in June 2026 following an executive order on AI. In that meeting, Altman reportedly advocated for the order's balanced approach.