'Let data reign'; Trump warns that those who don't let AI data centers proliferate will end up 'backwards and poor'

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a strong message on Monday via his Truth Social social media platform, urging constituents to support the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. Trump urged people to embrace data center construction, warning those who oppose it that it would lead to a backward and poor society.

He argued that the rapid expansion of generative AI has surpassed any previous technological growth, and that the only reason communities in the U.S. should oppose data centers is if they wish to remain impoverished.

Data centers, which consist of large buildings packed with servers and connected to the internet, have existed for decades and experienced significant expansion during the rise of the World Wide Web. However, the recent surge in AI usage, particularly through chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude, has fueled a new wave of data center construction.

These modern AI data centers demand powerful graphics processing units (GPUs), primarily from Nvidia, and consume vast amounts of energy, often exceeding the energy consumption of 100,000 homes.

The energy demands of AI data centers generate significant heat, and they use large quantities of water for cooling purposes. In fact, a single AI data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day, exacerbating water shortages in regions facing drought conditions. Additionally, AI data centers can be noisy, creating constant hums audible in nearby communities.

Public opinion on data centers has shifted, with a recent Gallup poll in May 2026 revealing that 70% of Americans oppose the local construction of AI data centers. Concerns primarily revolve around environmental and quality-of-life issues, as well as resource allocation. President Trump, however, emphasized the need for communities to support AI data center growth, stating that if they do not, they will become "backwards and poor."

He argued that the economic benefits of data centers, including job creation and investment, would outweigh the environmental and resource concerns.