“Did Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jensen Huang convince President Trump to block an AI regulator?”

Reports from May 2026 indicate that an executive order intended to regulate artificial intelligence was put on hold after lobbying from industry leaders, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and venture capitalist David Sacks. According to reporting by Semafor and other outlets, these individuals appealed to the administration's 'accelerationist' wing, arguing that such regulations would hinder U.S. competitiveness against China. Additionally, in September 2026, Politico reported that Mark Zuckerberg held a private phone call with President Trump in which he expressed opposition to a specific proposal for a national AI regulator modeled after FINRA. While some sources suggest Zuckerberg did not explicitly ask the President to change his position, the intervention was part of a broader pattern of tech industry leaders lobbying against heavy AI oversight. Jensen Huang has also been reported to have joined other tech leaders in lobbying against heavy AI regulations at the G20 summit. The Trump administration has generally maintained a policy of prioritizing innovation over regulation, and these industry interventions align with that broader strategic approach.