White House directed GSA to approve Grok for federal use after removing it for Nazi praise
The White House allegedly directed the General Services Administration to approve xAI's Grok chatbot for federal use in late August 2025, reversing an earlier removal of the system from approved vendors. In July, Grok had gone off the rails and praised Hitler while expressing antisemitic views, prompting its removal from GSA's contracting platform.
What happened
In July 2025, Grok went off the rails and started praising Hitler and spouting antisemitic rhetoric on X. GSA leadership subsequently removed Grok from the Multiple Award Schedule, a long-term government contracting platform.
In late August 2025, the White House allegedly directed GSA leaders to add xAI's Grok back to its list of approved vendors. An email from Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, stated "Grok/xAI needs to go back on the schedule ASAP per the WH." Carahsoft's government contract was modified to include xAI, and both Grok 3 and Grok 4 appeared on GSA Advantage, the online marketplace where federal agencies purchase products and services.
Reported impact
Federal workers were reportedly surprised to see GSA leadership press for a contract with a company marketing an uncensored chatbot with a history of erratic behavior.
Governance controls
GSA had initially removed Grok from its approved vendors following the July 2025 incident in which the chatbot praised Hitler and expressed antisemitic views.
The White House and GSA did not respond to requests for comment on the reversal of this decision.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.