A federal appeals court has denied Anthropic's emergency motion to halt the Trump administration's blacklisting of the AI company, but agreed to expedite the case with oral arguments scheduled for May 19. The ruling came from a panel of three Republican-appointed judges, including two Trump appointees, Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao. This decision marks a setback for Anthropic in one of two lawsuits it filed against the administration.

Anthropic argues the blacklisting violates its First Amendment rights after it refused to allow its Claude AI models to be used for autonomous warfare and mass surveillance. The company claims Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth retaliated by labeling it a "Supply-Chain Risk to National Security," effectively barring military contractors from working with the firm. While the court acknowledged potential financial harm to Anthropic, it found the balance of equities favored the government given ongoing military operations.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche hailed the ruling as "a resounding victory for military readiness," asserting that military authority belongs to the Commander-in-Chief, not tech companies. Anthropic expressed confidence that courts will ultimately find the supply chain designations unlawful and emphasized its commitment to working productively with the government. The company has seen more success in its separate case in California, where a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against the blacklisting.