OpenAI lobbyist tells 2028 hopefuls AI will define their White House bids

Nov 2, 2026
In a memo obtained by Politico, OpenAI's Chris Lehane warns prospective 2028 candidates that opposing data center build out could cost the U.S. its AI lead to China.
OpenAI lobbyist tells 2028 hopefuls AI will define their White House bids

OpenAI's top lobbyist, Chris Lehane, is privately telling prospective 2028 presidential candidates that artificial intelligence will define their bids for the White House, according to a memo circulated among some contenders and obtained by Politico.

In the memo, Lehane argues that candidates need a governing philosophy for AI rather than talking points on the issues dominating the campaign. He warns that Democrats in particular could end up on the wrong side of the debate if they oppose the infrastructure needed to build the technology, and that backing a data center moratorium could help China overtake the United States.

A fight over data centers could have consequences far beyond local projects, Lehane writes. If the U.S. loses its AI lead to China, "This could well be the 2028 version of the 2002 vote to go to war in Iraq."

The memo follows OpenAI's plans for a policy push after the midterm elections.

We hope you enjoyed this article

Consider subscribing to one of our newsletters like Silicon Brief, AI Policy Brief or Daily AI Brief.

Also, consider following us on social media:

AI Chips & Datacenters AI Safety & Regulation AI Brief AI Brief (X)
Free newsletter

AI Policy Brief

Weekly report on AI regulations, safety standards, government policies, and compliance requirements worldwide.

Guide
AI interconnect and networking startups

AI interconnect and networking startups

29 private startups developing the chips, optical switches and memory fabrics that move data through AI infrastructure.

Industry analysis

2025 Global Business Services Agenda: Gen AI Takes Center Stage

The Hackett Group

This industry analysis by The Hackett Group explores the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) on global business services (GBS) in 2025. The study highlights the shift from exploration to acceleration of Gen AI initiatives, with 89% of executives advancing these projects to improve customer satisfaction, innovate products, and reduce costs. The report also discusses the challenges and strategies for successful Gen AI adoption, emphasizing the need for a technology-enabled operating model and the importance of reskilling the workforce.

Read more

You may also like

Free, six days a week

Daily AI Brief: the AI news that matters, in your inbox.