In late October 2026, Reps. Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia reportedly asked President Donald Trump to preserve chatbot prompts and AI responses tied to official or ceremonial duties. They also requested a briefing by 5 p.m. on November 11. The request followed reports of a conversation with Grok about how Venezuelans might react to Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
What the lawmakers sought
Politico reported that the request named Grok, ChatGPT and Claude. EFE also named Gemini and Perplexity and said the request could cover official chatbot conversations by Trump’s staff. Nextgov/FCW reported that the requested briefing would address records-retention policies, chatbot contracts, Trump’s AI use and cybersecurity safeguards.
A White House official told Politico that required records are preserved in accordance with law. Raskin and Garcia also alleged that Trump ordered the Venezuela operation without congressional authorization.
What the reported Grok exchange concerned
ABC reported that, during a private meeting with Elon Musk in December 2025, Trump asked Grok how Venezuelans might respond to Maduro’s capture. Grok reportedly predicted that many would probably celebrate Maduro’s fall. ABC described the answer as a forecast of public reaction, not a recommendation to launch an operation.
ABC reported that military planning was practically complete by early December 2025, that Trump gave the order on the night of January 2, 2026, and that U.S. forces captured Maduro in Caracas on January 3.
When a chatbot exchange counts as a presidential record
The Presidential Records Act covers documentary materials created or received by the president or specified staff while conducting activities related to official presidential duties. Whether a particular exchange falls within that definition depends on its connection to those duties. The National Archives’ text of the act also says the statute does not confirm, limit or expand constitutionally based privilege.
What Grok’s privacy policy covers
SpaceX Super Intelligence LLC’s privacy policy, updated October 27, 2026, says its standalone service may collect prompts, responses, conversation history and technical data such as IP address, device type and country. The policy says that data may be used to operate and improve the service, conduct research, address security matters and comply with law. SpaceXSI says authorized personnel may review conversations for specified purposes. For standalone Private Chat, it says conversations are deleted from its systems within 30 days, subject to legal, compliance or safety exceptions. SpaceXSI’s privacy policy says Grok use on X is governed by X Corp.’s privacy policy and terms.
