Trump: "Communities that oppose the establishment of data centers will remain poor"
US President Donald Trump has criticized groups opposing the construction of data centers for AI. Within the Republican Party, there is growing concern that voter resistance could impact the upcoming November midterm elections.
US President Donald Trump attacked today groups opposing the rapid establishment of data centers, which are used for training and operating AI models. In the background, there is growing concern within the Republican Party regarding the opposition of many voters to the establishment of these centers ahead of the midterm elections to Congress, which will be held in November.
Unlike most protest movements that have emerged since Trump returned to office — for example, on the issue of immigration — the struggle against data centers attracts protesters from both major parties. The Guardian notes that in the first three months of the year, civic groups delayed or canceled at least 75 data center projects worth more than 130 billion dollars, according to a report by Data Center Watch. In July, dozens of demonstrations and protest events were held across the US against the rapid establishment of data centers.
"The only reason communities in the US should not support the establishment of data centers is if they want to fall behind and remain poor," Trump wrote in a post he published on his social network, Truth Social. "If they want to be rich and successful, with lower tax rates and jobs everywhere — they must let the data centers win."
According to Trump, "The good news is that there are plenty of other places that want the data centers. If we kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, you will only be able to blame yourselves. China could not be happier with the protest movement against the data centers. In fact, they cannot believe this is happening!"
Trump's post comes a week after the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) warned that "if voter perception regarding data centers does not change quickly, the campaign against them will expand far beyond Ohio." The committee, which works to elect Republicans to the Senate, stated that private polls conducted in this state show that Republican Senator Jon Husted is in a "dead heat" with the Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown, in the special election to complete the remainder of the term for the seat vacated by Vice President J.D. Vance.
A poll conducted by Gallup in March found that "7 out of 10 Americans oppose the construction of data centers for artificial intelligence in their area of residence, 48% strongly oppose it."
