{"slug": "trumps-ai-strategy-will-defeat-america-before-china-even-tries", "title": "Trump’s AI strategy will defeat America before China even tries", "summary": "President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have signaled a preference for private-sector responsibility over federal AI regulation, with Johnson stating Congress will not lead the charge on regulating AI safety and warning that strict restrictions could cede technological dominance to adversaries. The op-ed argues this \"educate, don't legislate\" approach will defeat America before China even tries.", "body_md": "When I served as the elected county commissioner president, a familiar phrase echoed through local government whenever new regulations were proposed: “Educate, don’t legislate.” It is a philosophy rooted in a healthy distrust of top-down mandates. It builds on the belief that informed, responsible actors manage risk better than a rigid [bureaucracy](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/bureaucracy).\n\nToday, that exact governance mindset has taken center stage in Washington. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) have signaled a clear preference for private sector responsibility. Their argument is compelling on its face. The United States leads [China](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/china/) in the race for advanced software. Heavy federal rules risk crippling American innovation. Johnson explicitly noted that Congress will not lead the charge on regulating [AI safety](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/cybersecurity/), warning that strict restrictions could cause us to cede technological dominance to our adversaries.\n\n## Stay informed.Stay ahead.\n\nJoin Washington Examiner for unlimited access to the news, analysis, and commentary that matter most.\n\n[See Options](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/subscribe/digital/)\n\nAlready a member? [Log in](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sign-in/)\n\n[Click here to login/register your account](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/print-subscription-check)", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trumps-ai-strategy-will-defeat-america-before-china-even-tries", "canonical_source": "https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4728909/federal-ai-safety-benchmarks-national-security/", "published_at": "2026-09-19 10:00:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-19 10:25:20.608273+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-safety"], "entities": ["Donald Trump", "Mike Johnson", "United States", "China", "Congress"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trumps-ai-strategy-will-defeat-america-before-china-even-tries", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trumps-ai-strategy-will-defeat-america-before-china-even-tries.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trumps-ai-strategy-will-defeat-america-before-china-even-tries.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/trumps-ai-strategy-will-defeat-america-before-china-even-tries.jsonld"}}