Trump AI Policy Stalls Amid '10-Sided' White House Power Struggle
Internal factional debates over export controls and safety standards leave the U.S. without a coherent AI strategy as China and the EU advance their frameworks.
The Trump administration's effort to craft a unified artificial intelligence policy has fractured into competing internal camps, with a senior official telling WIRED that "it's not an argument with two sides, it's an argument with 10 sides."
The remark, published in WIRED's July 27, 2026 profile of the administration's AI brain trust, captures a decision-making process marked by overlapping jurisdictions and conflicting priorities. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles are all involved in AI policy decisions, often advocating different approaches.
Export Control Divisions
The debate over chip exports to China illustrates the fragmentation. The Atlantic reported that David Sacks influenced President Trump to soften export controls on Nvidia's H20 chips destined for China. Commerce Secretary Lutnick has been involved in both imposing and lifting export controls, according to reporting, rather than consistently advocating one position.
Silicon Valley itself is divided. The New York Times reported on July 25, 2026, that some tech companies oppose restrictions on open-source AI models, while others support tighter controls. This industry split mirrors the administration's internal disagreements over balancing innovation against national security concerns.
Global Competition Advances
While the U.S. debates internally, competitors are moving forward. The European Union has implemented the AI Act, the world's first comprehensive legal framework for artificial intelligence. China proposed a global AI cooperation organization in July 2025 and established the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization in July 2026, according to Reuters.
The lack of a unified American framework creates uncertainty for major AI developers including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Meta, though the direct impact on corporate planning has not been independently confirmed. Industry observers note that traditional export controls may become less effective as open-source models proliferate.
No Clear Strategy Emerges
The WIRED reporting documents genuine internal factional debates within the administration. What remains clear is that the U.S. has not yet produced a coherent national AI strategy comparable to the centralized approaches taken by Beijing and Brussels.
The administration's AI brain trust continues working to reconcile the interests of tech industry veterans and national security hardliners. Whether that process yields a unified policy before global norms solidify without American input remains an open question.