Trump loves data centers. Americans hate them
If there’s a true populist issue built for this moment in time, it might be opposition to AI data centers. Lawmakers and candidates from both parties across states are increasingly positioning themselves as critics of data center proliferation. And recent primary results suggest it’s a pretty potent issue. There is, however, one big exception to … The post Trump loves data centers. Americans hate…
President Donald Trump and his administration exhibit a strong affinity for AI data centers, despite widespread public opposition to their construction. Recent polls reveal that Americans overwhelmingly disfavor data centers, with a significant number opposing their establishment in their immediate vicinity. Despite this, Trump has championed data centers as vital for U.S. competitiveness in AI and as beneficial to local economies.
In March, the administration introduced the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, a voluntary initiative promising that data center construction wouldn't increase energy bills. However, Trump downplayed the need for this pledge, suggesting that data centers wouldn't raise electricity prices. In fact, he touted data centers as "big, strong, bold, and Money Machines" and "Cash Cows, with Lower Taxes and Record Setting Jobs."
Even after Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order halting data center construction, Trump praised them on social media, calling them "Tremendous things" and questioning why anyone would oppose them. He even compared the importance of data centers to that of oil, stating that they could be "bigger than oil." However, the American public's sentiments starkly contrast with Trump's views.
In a Reuters-Ipsos poll, nearly half of Americans opposed new data centers, with this opposition rising to 59% when the centers were within 10 miles of their homes. A March Gallup poll indicated that 70% of Americans opposed building data centers in their areas, with only a small fraction strongly supporting their construction.
Written by urgent.news from Egypt Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
