Add The New York Post on Google WASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday doubled down on his support of data centers, claiming communities that reject them will end up “backwards and poor” — even as polls show most Americans don’t want them in their neighborhood.
Data centers, once heralded by politicians across the aisle as job creators, have transformed from a local issue into a defining one for the midterm elections as many voters have turned against them.
Trump, however, argues that the centers can bring an economic boom to areas still feeling the pinch from the rising cost of living.
“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” the president wrote on Truth Social Monday.
“If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign.”
Backlash against data centers has been steadily growing among Americans.
A Gallup poll in March found that seven in 10 Americans oppose having centers in their local area while a May Gallup poll found people would rather see a nuclear power plant built in their neighborhood than a data center.
The backlash is believed to reflect general unease with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, the growing influence of social media and billions of dollars being earned by big tech companies.
Trump argues the centers are necessary to keep America competitive in the global economy.
“If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame. China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement. Actually, they can’t believe it is happening!” he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump and some Republican officials think Chinese influence operations are fueling the backlash to harm the country’s economic competitiveness — though proof has not emerged.
The US has an estimated 4,000 to 5,400 data centers, with more being planned, particularly for rural communities.
About 1,500 new data centers are in various stages of planning, land-banking, or construction nationwide — representing a more than 50% expansion. And 38% of Americans live within 5 miles of at least one operational data center, Pew Research found.
The centers require large areas of land and need extensive amounts of electricity, which has raised concern about increased electric bills.
Additionally, the centers use substantial amounts of water to cool their equipment, raising worries among environmentalists.
Residents in the DC area reported energy bills topping $1,000 this past winter as the AI boom in northern Virginia resulted in a plethora of centers being built.
Trump has tried to address the concerns about the rising cost of electricity with his “Ratepayer Protection Pledge,” which demands that data center developers pay for new energy infrastructure.
Data centers use about 4.4% of US electricity and are projected to utilize up to 12% by 2030.
Some governors are taking matters into their own hands.
New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order last month banning the construction of large data centers for up to a year.
Business leaders warned the governor that she risks leaving New York behind, arguing the centers will simply move to other states, jeopardizing job opportunities for New Yorkers.
But even Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has pushed back on the centers. He placed a temporary pause on new data center grid connections and is auditing centers about rising electricity costs.
The president maintains the benefits of the centers outweigh any other concerns.
“If I were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state, and I had a chance to get a big plant in, an AI plant or a data center, I would absolutely want it because the jobs are enormous and the money paid, the taxes paid, are just enormous,” he said a few weeks ago.
