Anthropic wins injunction against Trump administration over Defense Department saga

A federal judge has sided with Anthropic in its twisty legal battle with the Trump administration, awarding the tech company an injunction against the government’s recent order that labeled it a “supply chain risk,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

On Thursday, Judge Rita F. Lin of the Northern District of California ordered the Trump administration to rescind its recent designation of Anthropic as a security risk, as well as to back off its order that federal agencies cut ties with the company.

“It looks like an attempt to cripple Anthropic,” Lin reportedly said during the court proceedings. Lin ultimately argued that the government’s orders had flouted freespeech protections for the company.

The drama between the Pentagon and Anthropic erupted last last month over a dispute concerning guidelines for the government’s usage of the AI company’s software. Anthropic had reportedly sought to enforce certain limits on how the government could use its AI models, such as banning their use in autonomous weapons systems or mass surveillance. The government disagreed with those limitations, ultimately labeling the company a supply chain risk—a designation typically reserved for foreign actors. President Trump further ordered federal agencies to cut ties with the company.

Not long afterward, Anthropic sued the agency, along with Hegseth.

The White House has spent recent weeks attacking the company, characterizing it as “a radical-left, woke company” that is jeopardizing America’s “national security.” Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, meanwhile, has called the Defense Department’s actions “retaliatory and punitive.”

On the heels of Judge Lin’s ruling, Anthropic sent TechCrunch the following statement: “We’re grateful to the court for moving swiftly, and pleased they agree Anthropic is likely to succeed on the merits. While this case was necessary to protect Anthropic, our customers, and our partners, our focus remains on working productively with the government to ensure all Americans benefit from safe, reliable AI.”

TechCrunch has separately reached out to the White House for comment.