According to Axios, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joined a Friday meeting between White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, in what sources briefed on the discussion described to the outlet as a potential improvement in the relationship between the company and the Trump administration.

Axios reports that the meeting occurred while Anthropic remains in active litigation with the Pentagon, which has designated the company a "supply chain risk." A Trump adviser told Axios the matter "got elevated to Susie to hear Dario out, determine what is bullsh-t and start to plot a way forward."

Participants Sought To Wall Off Pentagon Litigation

A source familiar with the negotiations told Axios that going into the meeting, both sides sought to separate the ongoing Pentagon court fight from how the rest of the federal government engages with Anthropic. According to that source, next steps are expected to focus on how departments outside Defense engage with Anthropic's Mythos Preview model.

Axios reports that Wiles was circumspect about the Pentagon dispute during the meeting, saying "it's in court," but made clear the government needs a relationship with Anthropic and wants an open line of communication, according to one source cited by the outlet. The discussion also covered how Anthropic safeguards its code and how the company decides when and how to release new models, Axios reports.

"This is a big problem. Everyone's complaining. There's all this drama. So this got elevated to Susie to hear Dario out, determine what is bullsh-t and start to plot a way forward," a Trump adviser told Axios.

A source familiar with Bessent's thinking told Axios the Treasury Secretary joined because "he wants to make sure everyone is on the same page," adding: "He understands this is a private company, but there is a role for government to play here."

Mythos Access and Financial System Concerns

According to Axios, Anthropic released Mythos only to a select group of companies and organizations because of what the outlet described as the model's cyber capabilities. Axios reports that Treasury and other government agencies have expressed interest in joining that access list, and that two sources told the outlet prior to the White House meeting that a deal along those lines could be struck soon. DeepBrief previously covered the preview of Anthropic's cybersecurity model alongside reports of White House engagement.

Axios reports one concern cited by sources is that Mythos and similar tools could enable hackers to breach the U.S. financial system, while the same capabilities could also be used by companies and agencies to harden cyber defenses.

Statements From Anthropic and the White House

An Anthropic spokesperson, quoted by Axios, described the meeting as "a productive discussion on how Anthropic and the U.S. government can work together on key shared priorities such as cybersecurity, America's lead in the AI race, and AI safety."

The White House told Axios the "introductory meeting" had been "productive and constructive," adding: "We discussed opportunities for collaboration, as well as shared approaches and protocols to address the challenges associated with scaling this technology. The conversation also explored the balance between advancing innovation and ensuring safety."

DeepBrief requested comment from Anthropic, the White House, and the Department of Defense and will update this piece if additional on-record statements are provided.

The Pentagon Dispute Remains Unresolved

Axios reports that Anthropic continues to contest the "supply chain risk" designation, which the Pentagon applied after the company declined to make its software available to the military for "all lawful uses." According to the outlet, Amodei insisted on restrictions barring use for mass surveillance or to develop autonomous weapons, and weeks of negotiations failed. DeepBrief previously examined the broader governance questions in the Pentagon's dispute with Anthropic over military AI use.

Axios reports that President Trump declared at the time of the designation that all government agencies must cease using Anthropic, but that directive is on hold while the court battle continues.

According to Axios, not all administration officials support the outreach. "They're using this Mythos cyber weapon to find friendly ears in the government," one U.S. official told the outlet. "They're succeeding."

Another U.S. official, quoted by Axios, said that "every agency except [the Department of] War wants to" use Anthropic.