According to The Verge, the bipartisan Alliance for Secure AI, launched in July 2025, is finding that voters overwhelmingly oppose the federal government overriding state AI laws. CEO Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican strategist, notes that voter awareness spiked in late 2024, partly due to media coverage and the “DeepSeek moment.” In Texas, a comprehensive AI law passed earlier this year, and a letter signed by 16 state senators—9 Republicans and 7 Democrats—was recently sent to Senators Cruz and Cornyn opposing federal preemption. This comes as President Trump has committed to signing a vague executive order for federal AI control, an idea already facing major legal and political headwinds from the states themselves.
The Unlikely Political Alliance
Here’s the thing that really stands out: this isn’t your typical partisan gridlock. We’re seeing far-right Texas Republicans and far-left Democrats in the same state legislature literally signing the same letter. That just doesn’t happen every day. Steinhauser calls it “pretty spectacular,” and he’s right. It’s the political equivalent of cats and dogs living together. What’s driving it? A mix of raw political pride and a genuine, shared concern. State lawmakers worked hard to pass their own AI bills—like the Texas Responsible AI Governance Act—and they’re damned if they’re going to let Washington sweep it all aside with one stroke of a pen. It’s states’ rights in action, but with a 2025 twist.
The Conservative Backlash Beyond Politics
But the resistance in red states goes way deeper than just bureaucratic turf wars. Steinhauser points to something more visceral: a religious and social backlash. In very conservative, religious states like Texas, there’s a growing fear that AI is being discussed as an “omniscient, omnipresent thing”—language that directly challenges religious sensibilities. The idea that this technology could “attempt to replace God” is a powerful, emotional trigger. Combine that with very real worries about AI’s impact on mental health, families, and kids—amplified by reports like the CBS 60 Minutes investigation into predatory AI chatbots—and you’ve got a potent political cocktail. It’s not just about regulation; for many voters, it feels like a defense of their community’s values.
Why Trump’s Order Is Doomed
So where does this leave Trump’s promised executive order? Basically, in legal and political purgatory. The article notes the leaked version from November already had a mountain of legal issues. There’s no clear constitutional rationale for the feds to preempt state laws here. But more importantly, the political ground has shifted. When you have state attorneys general, governors, and legislators from both parties calling their DC reps to defend their work, it creates a firewall. Polling backs this up, showing voters reject federal override. An executive order might be signed, but enforcing it? That’s a whole other battle. It seems like the administration is chasing a moratorium that its own base’s state-level allies don’t even want.
A New Political Fault Line
This whole situation reveals a fascinating new fault line in American politics. It’s not Left vs. Right. It’s Local vs. Federal. The coalition letter from the Texas Senate is a concrete symbol of that. And Steinhauser’s group, the Alliance for Secure AI, is betting that this issue will resonate with voters in the midterms. Will AI regulation be a top-tier voting issue? Maybe not yet. But the intensity from state leaders is real. They’ve done the work, they’re proud of it, and they’re telling Washington to back off. In a political climate defined by division, that’s a rare point of unity. And it might just be enough to stop a federal power grab in its tracks.
