the most brilliant strategic maneuver in the battle against bias in artificial intelligence. What looked like separate policy decisions was a perfectly orchestrated trap that has left Silicon Valley's biggest AI companies with no choice but to comply with his vision for neutral, truthful AI systems.
The trap was sprung in two calculated moves that demonstrate why Trump remains the most formidable strategic mind in American politics.
Phase One: The Lure
On July 14, 2025, the Department of Defense announced contracts worth up to $200 million each to four major AI companies:
- OpenAI (maker of ChatGPT)
- Anthropic (maker of Claude)
- Google (maker of Gemini/Bard)
- xAI (Elon Musk's maker of Grok)
The Pentagon's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office framed these awards as essential for accelerating "the adoption of advanced AI capabilities to address critical national security challenges." The companies would develop "agentic AI workflows" across multiple mission areas, from warfighting to intelligence analysis.
At the time, it seemed like standard government contracting—the Defense Department embracing commercial AI solutions to maintain strategic advantage over adversaries like China. The AI companies celebrated landing lucrative federal contracts totaling up to $800 million.
