• Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has shifted politically to the right since leaving office in 2025.
• She has become involved in several artificial intelligence initiatives, including lobbying for an AI data center.
• Sinema has expressed support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement and advocated for the psychedelic drug ibogaine.

Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has moved toward the political right since she left office at the beginning of 2025.

The Democrat-turned-independent is embracing Republican President Donald Trump and promoting artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

It’s a part of a longer shift away from the left for Sinema, who sparred with her own party in the Senate and opted not to run for reelection in 2024.

Sinema has kept busy in her first year out of office, joining the law firm Hogan Lovells and signing on to several other initiatives over the last 11 months. She also formed the Arizona Business Roundtable, an advocacy group promoting business interests.

Here’s what to know about Sinema since she exited the Senate.

Artificial intelligence

Sinema is involved in several artificial intelligence initiatives. She donated $3 million in campaign funds to Arizona State University’s nonprofit foundation to fund the Spark Center for Innovation in Learning in partnership with OpenAI.

In February, Sinema launched the AI Infrastructure Coalition with former Rep. Garret Graves, R-Louisiana. The organization advocates for the AI industry and is closely aligned with Trump’s AI Action Plan.

Sinema made recent headlines for lobbying on behalf of an AI data center in Chandler. She warned the city council that if they voted down the proposed AI data center, the Trump administration would step in and make it happen anyway.

The data center was wanted by Active Infrastructure, a client of Hogan Lovells.

At a public hearing in October, she told the council she was working with the Trump administration as the founder and chair of the AI Infrastructure Coalition.

She also appeared on the conservative Fox News channel before the vote to talk about AI as a technology to help with traffic flows. She cast it as the front line in a technological war with China.

The Chandler City Council was flooded with letters in opposition to the data center and ultimately voted to reject it.

MAHA and psychedelics

Sinema came out in support of Kennedy’s “MAHA” agenda, telling POLITICO that she is “close” to Kennedy and that his agenda is “amazing.”

The former Senator supports a psychedelic drug called ibogaine and lobbied for it before the Arizona Legislature.

Ibogaine is classified as an illegal substance with a high risk of abuse, though supporters say it can help treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

Kennedy has faced criticism for his anti-vaccine rhetoric. Sinema did not speak on his vaccine skepticism.

Psychedelics and MAHA: Kyrsten Sinema, psychedelic advocate, now a devotee of RFK’s agenda?

Cryptocurrency

Sinema has embraced cryptocurrency and digital assets. She had taken an interest in crypto during her time in the Senate and raised a half-million in campaign dollars from crypto-backed firms.

Once she left office, Sinema joined the global advisory council of Coinbase Global Inc. Chris LaCivita, the co-campaign manager for Trump’s 2024 reelection, is also on the council.

Sinema has praised Trump’s moves on crypto during his second term, saying the past year has been “good crazy after years of nothing” on a Hogan Lovells podcast.

She also credited Congress for passing legislation that created a regulatory framework for stablecoins, a type of digital currency pegged to traditional assets such as the U.S. dollar.

Tax cuts 

Sinema and Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill, a partner in her Arizona Business Roundtable, advocated for tax cuts as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The Republican-backed tax bill was packed with Trump’s second-term priorities.

Sinema and Bidwill claimed their organization helped secure the inclusion of a permanent renewal of bonus depreciation in a Phoenix Business Journal op-ed, though the policy has been part of Trump’s tax cut wishlist for years.

Historically, businesses spread the tax benefits of capital expenditures over several years. Now, qualifying expenses can be written off in their first year, an incentive to make sometimes-pricey investments.

Sinema’s support for that legislation is a contrast to her vote against Trump’s tax cuts in 2017 when she was a Democrat serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Stephanie Murray covers national politics and the Trump administration for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach her via email at stephanie.murray@usatodayco.com and on social media @stephanie_murr.