Anthropic has brought on a former aide to both Senator Chuck Schumer and Mayor Eric Adams to lead its communications team, even as the AI company navigates allegations of being overly “woke,” according to recent reports.
The technology startup, which is expanding rapidly, has been working to improve its relationship with the Trump administration. This comes after tensions arose from its connections to prominent Democratic donors, confrontations with the White House’s AI advisor David Sachs, and a recent incident that reportedly prevented government agencies from using its AI technologies for certain law enforcement activities.
Maxwell Young, known for his background in Democratic politics, stepped into the role of policy communications director at Anthropic last November.
An unnamed tech policy advisor commented that this appointment could be a misstep given Anthropic’s delicate standing with Republicans.
“Adding more Democrats at this juncture raises some eyebrows, especially since the company already has a significant left-leaning team and seems eager to cooperate with the current administration,” the advisor noted.
Christopher Nulty, the head of external communications at Anthropic, confirmed Young’s role, emphasizing that the company has hired over 20 individuals from diverse political backgrounds since the start of 2025 to support its global operations.
Nulty stated, “Max, who managed similar initiatives at Pfizer, will champion policies that promote America’s leadership in AI, including bipartisan measures for child safety and sensible export controls.”
Young’s time in the mayor’s office was marked by a notable incident in February 2022, when it was revealed that Mayor Adams, despite claiming a vegan diet, was seen ordering fish at local eateries.
Young insisted at the time that Adams did not consume fish, but the mayor later acknowledged that he did. This event was mockingly dubbed “Fishgate” on social media.
Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s CEO, has been noticeably more involved lately, especially after previously avoiding encounters with tech leaders during the early days of the Trump administration. Recently, he visited Washington to meet with essential officials and a bipartisan group of lawmakers to discuss matters related to AI policy.
As previously reported, Amodei also joined a dinner with Trump in Japan last October, and company representatives have since briefed the White House on plans for a privately funded AI computing and energy initiative.
Anthropic has not commented on Amodei’s recent trip to Washington.
Young’s experience includes many years with Senator Schumer, where he served as press secretary and communications director before stepping away in 2014, only to return twice in later years as a senior communications advisor.
His role involved crafting messages during the contentious confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, as noted by various reports.
Young most recently worked at Pfizer as the vice president of policy communications, stepping out of political roles for three years.
Meanwhile, Anthropic formed a new advisory committee that includes ex-Trump administration officials, asserting their hiring decisions are based on expertise rather than political views.
Criticism from Sachs persists, with him labeling Anthropic’s leadership as “the destroyers of AI” and accusing them of being politically driven in crafting regulations around AI safety.
In recent years, major tech firms have increasingly hired individuals with political experience to bolster their policy teams. For instance, OpenAI has enlisted former Clinton aide Chris Lehane for international affairs and former Biden aide Liz Bourgeois for policy communications.
Many in the AI sector are advocating for a federal regulatory framework to replace various state laws, with Trump being one of those supporting the idea of a national AI preemptive policy.
Anthropic also seeks a federal approach to AI regulation, but it has diverged from rivals that support state-level measures such as California’s SB 53, which mandates safety protections for advanced “frontier” AI systems.
Anthropic has firmly stated that it does not disagree with the Trump administration and believes it shares many common views on AI-related policies, including the AI Action Plan.
