Former Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) publicly called on President Donald Trump to use executive authority to pause new artificial intelligence (AI) initial public offerings (IPOs) until Congress passes legislation establishing safeguards for the rapidly developing technology [1]. Manchin described this as an urgent measure to prevent AI companies from accelerating development before lawmakers can implement appropriate regulations, stating, "The president of the United States has the power to save humanity" [1]. He expressed concerns that advanced AI could become uncontrollable and override human decisions if not properly regulated [1].
Republican National Committee member and Humans First chairwoman Amy Kremer opposed Manchin's proposal, arguing that an IPO freeze would interfere with capital markets without addressing the core safety concerns of AI [1]. Kremer stated, "I do not support a president using executive authority to interfere with the markets," and suggested that executive power should instead be used to demand pre-deployment testing of AI systems [1]. She emphasized that real safeguards should focus on testing rather than blocking companies from raising capital [1].
The White House, referencing three Truth Social posts from President Trump, highlighted the president's stance against additional AI restrictions [1]. Trump rejected calls for further regulatory "guardrails," asserting that the United States should not slow its AI development while competing with China [1]. He argued that existing government powers are sufficient to address any wrongdoing by AI companies and stated, "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!" [1].
The debate over AI regulation has intensified following comments from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who called for increased oversight of frontier AI developers [1]. However, the article does not provide additional details on Amodei's statements or any specific market reactions to the ongoing policy debate [1].
CONCLUSION
The call by Joe Manchin to freeze AI IPOs has sparked a debate over the best approach to regulating artificial intelligence, with opposition from both market advocates and President Trump, who favors maintaining U.S. leadership in AI development. While concerns about AI safety and market interference are prominent, no immediate policy changes or market reactions were reported.