{
  "id": 2891961,
  "title": "Trump says rejecting data centers is \"a mistake\"",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/trump-says-rejecting-data-centers-is-a-mistake",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-23T23:15:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Axios",
    "slug": "axios",
    "url": "https://www.axios.com/2026/08/23/trump-data-centers-michael-cohen-interview"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In an interview with his former fixer, Michael Cohen, President Trump defended the expansion of data centers, emphasizing that the United States is far ahead of China in artificial intelligence. Trump claimed that data centers were not drawing power from the grid but were instead generating their own electricity through power plants, which he described as \"the most beautiful you've never seen.\" According to Trump, communities that refuse to accept data centers are making a grave mistake because they provide a substantial number of jobs and generate significant revenue. However, it's worth noting that not all data centers are developing self-sufficient power plants. Some rely on electricity supplied from the grid. The broader picture includes criticism from some state governors, such as Texas' Greg Abbott, who accused data center companies of \"digging their own grave\" and \"deserving the backlash\" due to their failure to win over community support. Abbott has urged state regulators to make data centers pay for the full cost of electrical infrastructure required, while other states like Pennsylvania and New York have imposed restrictions or imposed a moratorium on hyperscaler data centers. The Trump administration has taken steps to alleviate some environmental requirements for data centers while simultaneously urging tech companies to shoulder a larger share of the electricity costs associated with the AI expansion. In April, the Environmental Protection Agency issued guidance stating that power plants not connected to the public grid would not be subject to the Clean Air Act's Acid Rain Program, which could potentially expand opportunities for dedicated data center power generation. Additionally, Trump has encouraged data center operators to self-finance the required power and infrastructure costs through his Ratepayer Protection Pledge.",
  "summary": "President Trump defended the expansion of data centers in an interview with his former fixer, Michael Cohen, that aired in full on Sunday. Why it matters: Trump's support comes as data centers face growing backlash in both red and blue states. What he's saying: Trump told Cohen during their interview that the U.S. was leading China in AI \"by a lot\" and that data centers were not taking power from…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}