What could go wrong????????

Cruz and Blackburn meet Trump to discuss tech policy

The meeting came ahead of a markup planned for next week on AI policy and kids online safety measures.

By Owen Dahlkamp and Kelsey Brugger

President Donald Trump met Monday at the White House with Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Marsha Blackburn to discuss tech policy.

The huddle came ahead of a highly-anticipated Senate Commerce Committee markup to take place as soon as next week on a roster of kids’ online safety and artificial intelligence bills.

In preparation for that markup, Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, has been working to build support for the Kids Online Safety Act, which would restrict the features and platforms minors could access online.

The White House has also sought to help broker an agreement to advance that bill alongside legislation allowing the federal government to preempt state AI laws — a major priority for the administration.

The Monday meeting was intended to bring the two lawmakers together as Cruz, the Texas Republican who chairs the Commerce Committee, continues to assemble the agenda for the upcoming business meeting.

One person granted anonymity to describe the private conversation said Blackburn presented her latest proposal and Cruz indicated he did not believe the measure would have the support to pass the Senate. Trump, the person said, held off on endorsing the package.

A White House spokesperson and a spokesperson for Blackburn did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding this characterization of the meeting, but Blackburn released a statement Monday evening stating her intention to continue her work.

“President Trump understands that enacting federal standards to establish AI guardrails and protect children online is absolutely imperative before the end of this Congress, which is why he invited us to the Oval today to continue our discussions on the best path forward for my legislative package,” she said. “I look forward to working with all my colleagues to continue building bipartisan consensus and get this agreement across the finish line before the end of the year.”

Tech industry representatives and child online safety groups have also been involved in discussions about the Kids Online Safety Act. Meta said it would drop previous opposition to the bill if it was paired with the App Store Accountability Act, which would require app stores to verify children’s ages, and limited preemption of state AI laws.

Meanwhile, the House passed its own version of the bill late last month without a “duty of care” clause that would require platforms to design features with an eye toward minors’ safety. Without the provision, it faces steep opposition in the Senate.

Punchbowl News first reported details of the White House meeting.