Trump Administration Seeks to Reinstate Anthropic Ban at Appeals Court After Judge Rules Pentagon Action Illegal

The Trump administration asked an appeals court Tuesday to overturn a federal judge's ruling that struck down its ban on Anthropic's AI technology for federal agencies, reigniting a high-stakes legal clash over government authority, AI safety, and free speech. The Justice Department filed a notice of appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on October 26, 2026, challenging an August decision by U.S. District Judge Rita Lin that voided Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's designation of Anthropic—maker of the Claude AI model—as a national security supply chain risk.