Exclusive: Pro-Trump group wades into GOP battle over AI regulation

A conservative nonprofit organization is wading into a consequential policy fight over artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, taking center stage on Capitol Hill.

Building America’s Future unveiled a six-figure ad buy on Tuesday, urging Congress to back President Donald Trump’s call to pass a single federal standard for AI regulation that would override a patchwork of state laws. The ad campaign, first shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation, comes as lawmakers are in a heated debate about whether the federal government or state capitals should dictate AI policy — with Republicans split on the issue.

The pro-Trump group’s 30-second spot titled “Now” will run nationally on TV and on digital platforms in Washington, D.C., according to a source familiar with the ad buy.

WATCH:

Building America’s Future and other supporters of a uniform federal AI standard argue that a conflicting state-by-state approach will allow Democrats to shape AI policy and cede innovation to China. The group also claims that a national AI framework will provide an economic boost to Americans, though lawmakers in both parties have voiced concern about artificial intelligence’s impact on the workforce.

“America is losing the AI race to China, and liberal states are to blame,” the 30-second ad says in part. “We can’t afford California’s chaos. We can’t leave Governor [Gavin] Newsom in charge.”

“Congress must act, now: Set one national rulebook that continues our jobs boom, lowers costs, and leaves China behind,” the ad continues.

Republican leadership has floated inserting a provision in a year-end defense policy bill that would block states from regulating artificial intelligence. Trump, who has largely embraced AI in his second term, has thrown his support behind the move.

“Put it in the NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act], or pass a separate Bill, and nobody will ever be able to compete with America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Nov. 18.

The proposal to restrict states from regulating AI has sparked sharp criticism from prominent Republicans, including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas who have signaled their support for more AI safeguards. The skeptical cohort has also voiced concern that a federal AI standard would undermine states’ rights.

“Stripping states of jurisdiction to regulate AI is a subsidy to Big Tech and will prevent states from protecting against online censorship of political speech, predatory applications that target children, violations of intellectual property rights, and data center intrusions on power/water resources,” DeSantis wrote in a Nov. 18 X post.

Nearly three dozen attorneys general also wrote to congressional leaders on Nov. 25, imploring them to reject legislation that would preempt state laws regulating the fast-growing technology.ge

The White House reportedly drafted an executive order in November that would direct the federal government to preempt state laws regulating artificial intelligence. The draft order would require Attorney General Pam Bondi to create an AI litigation task force, whose sole purpose is to challenge state-level regulation and order agencies to withhold certain federal funds.

Building America’s Future’s 30-second ad spot quotes Trump claiming restrictive AI regulation at the state level will “hold up” innovation and economic growth.

Investment in the nascent technology accounted for roughly half of GDP growth in the first six months of the year, according to several analyses.

Trump also defended his push for a federal AI standard in a recent Truth Social post, warning about “Woke AI” if Democratic-led states are allowed to regulate artificial intelligence.

Opponents of state-level AI regulation failed to enact a 10-year moratorium within the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act over the summer in part due to GOP pushback. AI industry-aligned supporters, including Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, pledged to bring the measure up for consideration later in the year.

Building America’s Future is a political nonprofit funded by the tech billionaire Elon Musk and other donors.

The pro-Trump group previously rolled out a seven-figure ad blitz in August, thanking Trump for signing new and expanded tax cuts into law.

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