Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) on Monday accused President Trump of being unable to provide objective oversight of artificial intelligence, citing the first family's financial ties to the sector. Speaking on MSNBC's All In with Lawrence O'Donnell, Ossoff highlighted the venture capital firm 1789 Capital, where Donald Trump Jr. serves as a partner, and its investments in AI labs and data centers.
"They've invested heavily in AI labs. They've invested heavily in data centers," Ossoff said. "So, the first family has a financial stake in this industry, and as a result, the president of the United States is compromised."
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump dismisses AI safety concerns
Earlier Monday, Trump brushed aside warnings from current and former AI industry employees about the potential dangers of the technology. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: "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 remarks came after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei announced a proposal to slow AI development to allow time for proper safeguards. Trump, however, framed AI as a competitive race against China, citing Beijing's pledge not to restrict the technology. He called concerns about AI dangers "a HOAX" and described AI and data centers as "the Greatest Economic Development Engine in History — Bigger than Oil, Gold, Diamonds, or even the Internet."
Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week in Washington, with AI expected to be a key topic. Xi is reportedly bringing a delegation of Chinese business leaders, though the specific industries are unclear. During Trump's visit to Beijing in May, he was accompanied by executives including Apple's Tim Cook and Tesla's Elon Musk.
Ossoff, who is seeking reelection in Georgia, urged voters to make the president's stance on AI a ballot-box issue. "We already know that Donald Trump is a dangerously corrupt and incompetent man," he said. "The question is what we're going to do about it."
The senator's comments add to growing bipartisan pressure on the administration to address AI risks. Some Republican senators have also pushed back on other Trump proposals, signaling potential friction within the party on technology policy.
Meanwhile, Democratic operatives are already strategizing for the next congressional fights over Trump's agenda, including AI oversight. The administration's approach to AI regulation remains a flashpoint as the technology rapidly evolves.
