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Trump says U.S. communities opposing AI data centers could end up 'backwards and poor'

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Why This Matters

This article highlights the political and social challenges facing the expansion of AI data centers in the U.S., emphasizing how opposition from local communities and voter backlash could hinder technological growth and economic benefits. The stance taken by President Trump underscores the importance of data centers for national competitiveness and economic prosperity, making it a critical issue for the tech industry and policymakers alike.

Key Takeaways

US President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Aug. 10, 2026.

President Donald Trump on Monday blasted communities that oppose new data centers as Republicans confront voter backlash over the projects ahead of November's midterm elections.

"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," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

"If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign," the president said.

"The good news is that there are plenty of other places that want them. 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!"

Trump's post comes nearly a week after a memo issued by the National Republican Senatorial Committee warned, "If voters' perceptions of data centers are not fixed quickly, the campaign against them will expand far beyond Ohio."

The NRSC said that private polling in that state shows Republican Sen. Jon Husted in a "dead heat" with Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown in the special election to fill the remainder of the term for the seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance.

In May, Gallup said a survey conducted in March found that "seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area, including nearly half, 48%, who are strongly opposed."

On Aug. 28, Wolfe Research issued a report that said, "In nearly every meeting with investors over the past month or so, we've been asked: How is the voter backlash against data centers going to play out?"

"The pace and scale of the backlash is genuinely breathtaking — we've never seen anything like it," the report said. "We've seen 60-point drops in net support for local data center (DC) construction across party lines over the past 12 months."

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