Trump says the US leads the AI race with China ‘by a lot’

Published August 23, 2026 11:14pm ET | Updated August 24, 2026 2:08am ET



President Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States holds a significant lead over the Chinese Communist Party in the artificial intelligence race while touting his administration’s ratepayer-protection pledge.

“This is a renaissance,” Trump said in an interview with his former attorney Michael Cohen that was released in full on Sunday. “We’re bringing back the medical business, we’re bringing back the automobile business, we’re leading China in AI by a lot.” Later in the interview, Trump heralded an update to the “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” from late July, which requires AI companies to “build, bring, or buy” their own power to ensure “America’s AI dominance will not raise electricity bills” for the public.

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