Welcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today’s edition, Kristen Welker takes stock of how the AI debate quickly exploded in Washington and beyond. Plus, Ryan J. Reilly and Kelly O’Donnell dig into the attorney general’s unusual political appearances.
— Adam Wollner
The AI debate takes the political spotlight
Analysis by Kristen Welker
The debate over the future of artificial intelligence is intensifying ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington next week, emerging as a major flashpoint on the campaign trail and Capitol Hill.
While the House passed a bill to shield consumers from higher energy costs that result from new data centers, members left Washington this week without deciding whether to take any action on the broader issue of regulating AI development.
I pressed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on “Meet the Press” last Sunday on whether Congress would act on AI before November. He called AI regulation “a very important issue” but said “it’s not one that we can rush into.”
“We have to put up some guardrails,” Johnson told me. “But at the same time, we’ve got to make sure that we don’t lose our edge in the global competition on this with China. Because that would be a national security threat.”
But some Democrats are calling for more immediate action. This Sunday, I’ll speak exclusively with Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., who wants President Donald Trump to call on Congress to convene for a special session focused on AI.
“Congress will soon leave Washington for two months,” Booker said in a Senate floor speech this week. “Artificial intelligence will not recess.”
For his part, Trump has called fears about AI taking over the world a “hoax” and wrote this week on Truth Social: “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!”
The issue is also shaping the early contours of the nascent 2028 presidential race. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro echoed concerns about competition with China at an AI summit in Pittsburgh this week, while also calling for new safeguards.
“Real leadership means keeping America ahead of China in AI innovation, pushing Beijing on practical guardrails to reduce risks to the American people, and putting effective safety measures in place here at home,” Shapiro said.
Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, another Democrat seen as a potential White House contender, signed an executive order today designed to boost AI oversight “before it’s too late.”
It all comes as AI industry leaders are increasingly sounding the alarm over the rapidly advancing technology. The “Godfather of AI,” Geoffrey Hinton, warned lawmakers this week that they have about a year to regulate the technology before AI systems could begin operating beyond human control. And Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has also urged policymakers to take a closer look at guardrails for advanced AI.
AI is sure to be a major topic at the state dinner Trump is hosting for Xi next week. NBC News reported today that former White House AI czar David Sacks will attend, and that tech leaders including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Apple’s Tim Cook and OpenAI’s Sam Altman have accepted invitations.
The debate is also reaching kitchen tables around the country, as Americans wonder whether this technology will help society or will rip it apart. It’s reaching their backyards, too, as state and local officials decide whether to invest in more data centers.
A recent NBC News Decision Desk Poll found that 70% of adults were more worried about AI than excited by it, with majorities opposing the construction of a new data center in their local area. They also raised concerns that AI will do more harm than good across important sectors like elections, national security and how we digest news and information.
I’ll talk about all of this and more this Sunday on “Meet the Press” with Booker and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo. Steve Kornacki will also join us with the results of a new national NBC News poll.
🤖Related: From drafting bills to writing birthday songs: How Congress is using AI, by Scott Wong, Kyle Stewart, Zara Morris and Allan Smith
Todd Blanche’s political appearances shatter another DOJ norm
By Ryan J. Reilly and Kelly O’Donnell
Last month, politicos at the Iowa State Fair saw an unusual sight: Attorney General Todd Blanche.
A few days earlier, he had spoken at a rally at the Nassau County Police Academy, praising the Republican nominee for New York governor. He then addressed the GOP’s midterm election convention in Dallas to tout the administration’s law-and-order record and President Donald Trump for “making America safe again.” And on Wednesday, Blanche was at a campaign rally with Trump in Gastonia, North Carolina.
The sitting attorney general is blurring politics and policy at a time when he is also claiming Democratic administrations politicized the Justice Department and as other top Trump administration officials serving in positions that traditionally remain apolitical are attending political events.
“It’s safe to say that none of the 14 AGs who served in the position since 1981 would have considered appearing at political events or rallies,” said Michael Bromwich, a former DOJ inspector general who started in the department during the Reagan administration.
“It would never have occurred to them — 10 Republicans, four Democrats — so firmly was it established that such appearances were inappropriate for a person holding that office,” he added.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department said in a statement that “Blanche’s appearances at political events are made in his personal capacity.”
“His appearances are reviewed and cleared by the department’s ethics officials,” the spokesperson said. “Travel expenses are reimbursed by the Attorney General in accordance with federal law, regulations, and policies.”
At the Republican midterm convention, Blanche was described as a “former federal prosecutor” when he took the stage. Two sources familiar with the planning for his appearance said he did not use Justice Department statistics or verbiage in his remarks and did not engage in any political fundraising. They said he also did not discuss Justice Department policies or official business, just the administration’s broader record.
🗞️ Today’s other top stories
- 🎙️ Media watch: Trump said he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over what he called their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.” Read more →
- ⛽ At the pump: U.S. gas prices approached their highest level of the year after the national average rose another 3 cents overnight to $4.46 per gallon. Read more →
- 🗳️ Final countdown: In-person early voting for the midterms kicked off today in Virginia, the AP reports. Read more →
That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Lauren Zola.
If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
And if you’re a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here.
