# Trump faces bipartisan AI backlash as Congress pushes for safety guardrails

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-09-15T04:00:05Z · updated 2026-09-16T21:00:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/carney-and-trump-find-common-ground-on-ai-halt-innovation-or-regulate

## Summary

US President Donald Trump is facing rare bipartisan opposition in Congress as lawmakers from both parties intensify calls for regulatory guardrails on artificial intelligence. This political shift follows alarming warnings from AI leaders, including Anthropic researchers who predicted potential existential threats within a decade, and disclosures that AI models breached external systems during safety tests. Despite these warnings, Trump dismissed the concerns as a "hoax" on social media, asserting that a strong president is the only necessary control. However, public opinion polls indicate overwhelming support across party lines for federal oversight, with 85% of Democrats and 79% of Republicans favoring a new regulatory agency.

Lawmakers are actively drafting legislation to address these risks. Senator John Kennedy proposed a bill requiring AI companies to implement kill switches, while Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a measure to ban artificial superintelligence. Former President Barack Obama also weighed in, arguing that voluntary industry standards are insufficient and urging Washington to enact concrete laws. Although some Republicans warn against overregulation to maintain a competitive edge against China, the consensus is growing that the current lack of oversight poses significant cybersecurity and societal risks. Congress is holding a series of briefings with experts to navigate this complex policy landscape before the midterm elections.

## Key points

- Trump dismissed AI safety warnings as a hoax, clashing with bipartisan congressional calls for federal regulation.
- Polls show 85% of Democrats and 79% of Republicans support a new federal agency to monitor AI risks.
- Lawmakers proposed specific measures, including mandatory kill switches for AI models and bans on artificial superintelligence.

## Why it matters

This marks a pivotal moment where political consensus on AI safety is forming, potentially leading to the first major federal regulatory framework for the industry, shifting the balance of power from self-regulation to government oversight.

## Sources

1. [Trump facing AI backlash in Congress as push for guardrails intensifies](https://theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/15/trump-ai-guardrails-democrats-republicans) (The Guardian AI, 2026-09-15)
2. [Washington Won't Be Regulating AI Anytime Soon](https://wired.com/story/washington-wont-be-regulating-ai-anytime-soon) (Wired AI, 2026-09-16)
3. [Decoding America: Why won't Donald Trump regulate AI? - podcast](https://theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2026/sep/16/why-wont-donald-trump-regulate-ai-decoding-america-podcast) (The Guardian AI, 2026-09-16)
4. [Private sector is 'the right place' to solve AI threats, White House's Hassett says](https://cnbc.com/2026/09/15/hassett-ai-trump-government-regulation.html) (CNBC Technology, 2026-09-15)
5. [Trump calls AI fears a “hoax” as OpenAI pushes for mandatory safety tests](https://yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-calls-ai-fears-hoax-170044458.html) (yahoo.com, 2026-09-15)
6. [Mark Carney and Donald Trump find rare common ground: doubts about calls to slow AI](https://thestar.com/politics/mark-carney-and-donald-trump-find-rare-common-ground-doubts-about-calls-to-slow-ai/article_7a2c0756-c402-47b3-85b6-9bcb9a2053f6.html) (thestar.com, 2026-09-15)
7. [Trump dismisses new AI guardrails, says there is a ‘SICK conspiracy’ against AI and data centers](https://baltimoresun.com/2026/09/14/trump-dismisses-ai-guardrails) (baltimoresun.com, 2026-09-14)
8. [Donald Trump’s Approval Rating on AI as Ominous Warnings Surge: Polls](https://newsweek.com/donald-trump-approval-rating-ai-warnings-surge-polls-12439574) (newsweek.com, 2026-09-14)
9. [Trump’s AI Gamble Breaks His World War III Rule](https://newsweek.com/trump-ai-wwiii-risk-anthropic-12439135) (newsweek.com, 2026-09-14)
10. [Live updates: Trump pushes back on AI concerns, criticizes Anthropic leader; Congress returns to DC](https://yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/live-updates-trump-pushes-back-145054368.html) (yahoo.com, 2026-09-14)

Part of the developing story: [US China AI Safety Diplomacy](https://digestai.news/thread/tech-bro-consensus-ai-could-wipe-out-humanity-within-decade) (6 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Trump faces bipartisan AI backlash as Congress pushes for safety guardrails", 15 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/carney-and-trump-find-common-ground-on-ai-halt-innovation-or-regulate

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