Posted on 08/31/2026 8:03:24 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
President Donald Trump went to bat for data centers on Monday morning, arguing that communities opposing the warehouses powering artificial intelligence will “end up being backwards and poor.”
Data centers have become an increasingly contentious and toxic issue for many Republicans on the campaign trail, especially in key swing states like Ohio and Michigan.
“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. If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding:
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! President DJT
In mid-August, Axios obtained a memo from National Republican Senatorial Committee warning that Democrats are making data centers the “centerpiece” of their campaign to unseat Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH).
“If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice — and they will not go near the next one. This has become a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle,” read the memo.
Trump, however, appears unconcerned by the popular backlash against data centers, which focuses on the environmental damage and energy use the massive facilities are linked to.
In July, Trump slammed New York’s governor for placing a moratorium on data centers to allow lawmakers time to study their impact on communities and rising energy prices.
“One of the biggest Driving Forces in the Future for Jobs, are Data Centers. They are big, strong, bold, and Money Machines for the State in which they are built. Governor Kathy Hochul, for political reasons, has terminated all Data Centers being built, or to be built, in New York State,” Trump wrote at the time, adding:
These Companies are now being sought in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and many other States. Both the Taxes and the Jobs amount to LIQUID GOLD! New York State has made a terrible decision. All of this Income, and other Benefits, will be going to Red States, and some Blue, where Data Centers are sought as Cash Cows, with Lower Taxes and Record Setting Jobs. They must pay for their own Water and Power, and any leftover goes back to the State and local Community. Data Centers are tremendous WINS for the States and Communities that are lucky enough to get them. New York should change its Policy, IMMEDIATELY. The Radical Left Dumocrats must not be allowed to cause us to lose Data Centers, AI, and all of this incredible new Technology, to China, and other countries!
there is nothing wrong with data centers or flock cameras.
All this is BS liberal talking points that are no different than calls to defund the police and to seize the assets of the rich.
There are plenty of MAGA conservatives in rural counties who are opposed to data centers.
You’re kidding yourself if you think that opposition is coming only from libs or from foreign influence.
yes, there are plenty of people in rural counties, that believe in global warming and want to shut down all power companies.
But those are not our voters.
You are falling for leftist rebranding.
In 2026 you dont say:
“defund the police” anymore, you now are instructed to say “I am against flock cameras”
“I am against big tech companies” you are now instructed to say “I am against data centers”
It is nothing more than what liberals have always done when their issues flop, they simply rebrand the issue
exactly. As always the left wants to try to hamstring America to let others catch up, because its unfair the evil white men got a head start on innovation ect.
You’re living in a fantasy world if you think rural voters are susceptible to climate change propaganda.
The fact is that MAGA from its inception has been resentful and suspicious of Big Tech.
In the second Trump administration, Big Tech has realigned with the White House, but MAGA’s resentment and suspicion haven’t magically disappeared.
A LOCAL “DATA CENTER” UNDER PROPOSAL WANTS 1000 MEGAWATTS OF POWER. IN A RATHER RURAL AREA.
1 MEGAWATT CAN SERVE BETWEEN 600 & 1,000 HOMES.
1000 MEGAWATTS===600,000 TO 1,000,000 HOMES.
NEVADA HAS ABOUT 3.2 MILLION POPULATION.
PROBABLY NOT EVEN 1,000,000 HOMES.
ANOTHER INDUSTRIAL BUILD (WITH IT’S ROOTS IN SO NEVADA) “WANTS TO PIPE WATER FROM THE CARSON RIVER TO THEIR FACILITY——BUT THEY NEED FEDERAL APPROVAL-—NOT STATE OR COUNTY APPROVAL——AND EVERY DROP OF THE WATER IN THE CARSON RIVER HAS BEEN ALLOCATED & SPOKEN FOR FOR OVER 46 YEARS .........MOSTLY FOR IRRIGATION
BRAZEN-—RIGHT?
IT IS A COMPLETE FRAUD & TAKEOVER.
EXPLAIN THEIR MASSIVE WATER DEMANDS & POWER DEMANDS
THE CITY OF TUCSON HAD TO SHUT DOWN WATER TO THE TUCSON RESIDENTS DUE TO DATA CENTER USAGE.
TUCSON HAS OVER 500,000 RESIDENTS
A DATA CENTER PROPOSED IN N UTAH ADMITTED IT WOULD HAVE POWER DEMANDS THAT EXCEED THE CURRENT POWER USAGE OF THE ENTIRE STATE OF UTAH. ENTIRE STATE.
BUSINESSES
RANCHES
FARMS
RESIDENTS
ALL ARE SUPPOSED TO FADE AWAY FOR A 40,000 ACRE DATA CENTER THAT WANTS TO HAVE ALL THE POWER????????????????
EISENHOWER BUILT THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM BECAUSE IT TOOK OVER 5 DAYS FOR MILITARY UNITS TO GET ACROSS THE USA WHEN PEARL HARBOR HAPPENED
MANY DATA CENTERS ARE GETTING TAX ABATEMENTS
Looks like your keyboard is stuck on capitals.
As opposed to surveiled, backward and poor.
I can’t argue against this line of reasoning (data centers gobble up resources like water and electricity).
In general, users of scarce resources should pay for those resources. This includes water and electricity. Subsides - either in the form of cash or in the form of cheap water, electricity or other resources (i.e., priced below their economic value) - make economic calculation impossible.
As it is, our economy is more and more socialistic, and profits are determined by lobbyists in Washington, D.C., rather than by competition in the real world. I think this was the assumption underlying Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged” (written about 70 years ago).
The answer to the specifics involved in data centers is to let the marketplace sort things out; not, to join in the lobbying game. Unfortunately, this answer seems completely out of reach at this time. The answer will require a revolution like we saw in Argentina (and it’s not clear that revolution will succeed down there).
As the Talking Heads said, same as it ever was.
If they use a closed loop system, the only water required is for an initial fill, like for a car radiator. Water can be trucked in if need be.
Power is a problem because generation capability has been decreasing due to forced retirements of coal and older systems and more dependency on green stuff. That’s why they are working on having data centers using their own generation facilities full time, instead of just for backup during outages.
Even with that there’s still the noise problem, most of which can be mitigated to.
But if they try and skate by with a cheap build, it’ll be to the detriment of all around them.
Yes: "brownfield" former industrial sites.
Interesting times.
I am pro-Police, and think the ‘de-fund’ crowd is bunch of tools/idiots. I’m also against the surveillance state that has emerged, and wants to grow exponentially. I don’t trust human nature to use that power for mankind’s good.
I’ve not been against ‘Big Tech’, historically, but honestly, after seeing what it’s become and how it manipulates our culture, I’m changing on that. I see ‘AI’ as a huge threat to humanity, and the “data centers” it requires as nothing more than “surveillance power centers”. If we called them what they actually are, people might think twice about them. They, like alot of things, have some huge downsides. The difference with them, though, is that the upside just isn’t there.
“left wants to try to hamstring America”
And they’ll gladly let the ChiComs pay for it.
They need to have their own power generators. Whats the big deal?
A nuke sub has a power supply that would work.
How much electricity does a high-rise office building use?
Glad to see you’re such a fan of the surveillance state. You enjoy being tracked wherever you go?
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