Executive Order Seeks to Preempt State AI Regulations

On December 11, 2025, Trump signed an executive order, "Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence," aimed at weakening state-level AI laws. The order creates a Justice Department AI Litigation Task Force to sue states whose AI laws the administration views as unconstitutional or preempted, directs the Commerce Department to condition broadband funding eligibility on states' AI-law postures, and instructs the FTC to consider preempting state rules that require altering AI model outputs.

The move targets state efforts, such as Colorado's AI Act and California's frontier-model transparency law, that address bias, discrimination, and transparency in AI systems. Supporters framed a single national standard as necessary for competitiveness; critics said it strips states of traditional consumer-protection and civil-rights authority and functions as a favor to major technology companies.

Legal experts widely expect the order to face court challenges, noting that the executive branch generally cannot preempt state law without congressional action. It marks the administration's third attempt at limiting state AI oversight.