According to Ars Technica, the Trump administration has taken the rare step of intervening in an environmental lawsuit against Elon Musk's AI company xAI, arguing that requiring the facility to shut down would threaten national security. In a court filing, the U.S. Department of Justice stated that the Clean Air Act lawsuit brought by the NAACP could cut the power supply to the data center that powers the Grok system, which "provides critical support to the War Department's military operations." The filing even revealed that xAI's Grok Gov model assisted in precision strikes against Iran during "Operation Epic Fury."
The NAACP filed the lawsuit in April in Saucier, Mississippi, against xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, alleging the operation of 27 gas turbines without air permits, in violation of the Clean Air Act. However, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality had previously determined that the turbines did not require permits. In the filing, the U.S. government argued: "The NAACP's attempt to cut Grok's power also threatens national security, as Grok provides critical support to the War Department's military operations." The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), representing the NAACP, criticized the government's logic, stating that it essentially argues "xAI should be allowed to break the law just because the Trump administration says so."
