President Donald Trump announced the Trump AI Force on Saturday, September 19. He also said he will soon pick an AI czar. He shared the plan in a long Truth Social post. The post said his government will not slow or block the growth of the industry. He said existing criminal and civil laws can deal with any wrongdoing by tech companies.
The post did not name a czar. It gave few details on what the new force would do, how much it would cost, or where it would sit in the government. The White House did not reply right away to a request for comment. The plan comes after a week of warnings from tech leaders and researchers. Trump has called those fears a hoax.
What the Trump AI Force Announcement Says
Trump said he is forming the group the way he built Space Force in his first term. Space Force is a military branch that Congress created. Trump did not explain how the new group would work or what its duties would be.
He said only people with high IQs should apply for the czar job. He said the czar will be named in the near future.
Trump said the government will “cherish it, help it, and watch over it” as the industry grows. He said officials will also look for bad behavior. He named the criminal and civil justice system as the tool to catch bad actors.
He called the technology the next Industrial Revolution or Internet. He said it could make up as much as 25% of the country’s GDP. He said the United States leads China and he plans to keep it that way.
The post also put criticism of the industry beside other issues that Trump calls hoaxes. His list includes the Russia and Ukraine matters, global warming, two impeachments, and fights over transgender policy and women’s sports. Trump blamed Democrats for all of them. He said they are now going after AI.
Trump also said attacks on data centers have mostly failed. He said towns that host data centers get higher pay, lower taxes and safer streets.
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What We Do Not Know About the Trump AI Force
The post leaves out most of the basic facts. It does not name a leader. It does not say how many people will work in the force, how much money it will get, or where it will be placed.
Trump did not say if the group would be a military branch, an agency or an advisory panel. Congress created Space Force. The post does not say how this new group would be formed, and it does not mention Congress at all.
The post also does not say what power the czar would have. It does not say if the czar would lead the AI Force or report straight to Trump.
Trump has said the only guardrail the technology needs is a strong and smart president. The White House has not said how the new force fits with that view.
Who Held the Czar Job Before
Trump named David Sacks the White House AI and crypto czar in December 2024. Sacks said in March 2026 that his time in the role as a special government employee was up.
He still has influence as co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Axios reported that the White House did not plan to fill the czar job again six months ago.
Sacks told CBS News last week that fears about AI threatening humanity are overblown. He said caution makes sense, but development should continue. Trump has not named anyone for the new role.
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Why the Announcement Came Now
Pressure on the White House has grown this month. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay titled “We Must Pace the Frontier” last week. He wrote that the industry should slow down to give time for safety steps.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he agreed that work on the most advanced systems should move with more care. Elon Musk also backed calls to pay more attention to the risks.
Nobel winner Geoffrey Hinton told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing this week that Congress has maybe a year to act.
Trump rejected those calls. He said more than once this week that “Whoever wins AI wins.” He said the goal is to beat China. He also called Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang while Huang was on stage at an industry summit.
How Lawmakers Reacted to the Trump AI Force
Democrats want action, but they do not agree on one plan. Sen. Bernie Sanders wants to pause work on advanced systems and ban superintelligence for good. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for strict safety rules and public oversight in a campaign email.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Friday to boost oversight of the industry. He asked a task force to look at requiring a kill switch. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has asked the federal government to set rules.
Former President Barack Obama said it is good that some top companies have called for a slowdown. Democrats told MS NOW that Trump appears to misread the mood right before the midterm elections.
Some Republicans also want Congress to act. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida said last week that Congress should hold a special session on AI. Sen. Josh Hawley said there is clearly something for Congress to do. He and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal wrote a bill to set up a Department of Energy program that would test advanced systems.
Rep. Nick Langworthy said Congress should build a bipartisan path forward. Other Republicans have questioned calls for more government oversight. Lawmakers have tried to pass AI bills in recent years, but none have moved forward.
What Polls Say About Data Centers and AI Risk
Trump’s post says data centers help the towns that host them. Polls released this week show a divided public.
A New York Times-Siena poll of 1,503 likely voters found 61% opposed building data centers to power AI. That included 47% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats.
An AP-NORC-University of Chicago poll found 53% were highly concerned about what AI does to the environment.
A Politico poll found 63% of American adults see at least a moderate risk that advanced AI could destroy humanity.
What Happens Next for the Trump AI Force
Trump said the czar will be named soon. The post gave no date for that announcement. Until then, the force exists only as a promise in a social media post.
The White House has shared no budget, staff plan or start date. Congress is still split on whether new rules are needed. Lawmakers in both parties are still pressing for action.
