The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Monday that it will discontinue all use of Anthropic products, including the Claude platform, in response to a directive from President Donald Trump.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a statement saying the termination was carried out at the direction of the president. In his remarks, Bessent said, "the American people deserve confidence that every tool in government serves the public interest," and added that "under Trump no private company will dictate the terms of national security."
The Treasury move follows an explicit order from President Trump instructing all federal agencies to immediately stop using Anthropic technology. The president said the company "made a mistake trying to force the Department of War to obey their Terms of Service instead of the Constitution."
In his directive, Trump expressed concern about the company's conduct and its consequences, stating that the company's actions "are putting American lives at risk, troops in danger, and national security in jeopardy." He also set a six-month phase-out window for agencies that have been using Anthropic products at varying levels, citing the Department of War as one such agency.
Details at a glance
- The Treasury will end all use of Anthropic products, including Claude.
- The action was taken following instructions from President Donald Trump.
- President Trump ordered all federal agencies to immediately cease using Anthropic technology and announced a six-month phase-out for agencies using the products.
Context and immediate implications
According to the Treasury statement, the decision reflects a priority that government tools operate in the public interest and that private firms should not control terms related to national security. The president's directive instructs agencies to end their use of Anthropic technology immediately, with a six-month transition period specified for agencies currently integrating those tools at various levels.
The administration's announcement emphasizes the need for certainty that government technology deployments align with constitutional obligations, echoing the president's assertion that Anthropic attempted to impose its Terms of Service on a federal entity rather than defer to constitutional requirements.
Summary
The Treasury Department will stop using Anthropic products, including the Claude platform, after a presidential directive. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent framed the move as necessary to ensure government tools serve the public interest and to prevent private companies from setting national security terms. President Trump ordered all federal agencies to cease using Anthropic technology immediately and instituted a six-month phase-out for agencies currently using those products.