President Donald Trump is backing the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centres, arguing that the projects can bring jobs, tax revenue and economic growth to communities across the US. Yet the political response on the ground is proving far less welcoming.
Voters in several states are increasingly concerned about what these huge facilities could mean for electricity bills, water supplies, noise and the character of their communities. The issue has become particularly awkward for Republican candidates heading into competitive midterm races, with some now trying to distance themselves from positions that support data centre development.
Trump's argument is that the US needs the infrastructure to win the AI race against China, but candidates facing voters locally are dealing with a different reality. From Ohio and Nevada to Texas and Wisconsin, data centres have become a campaign issue, with candidates on both sides using opposition to the projects as a way to attack their rivals.
Data Centres Become an Election Issue
Trump reportedly said this week that he would want an AI plant or data centre in his town if he were a mayor or governor, pointing to the jobs and taxes such projects could generate. He also acknowledged concerns over rising electricity bills and said data centres should shoulder their costs.
The political problem is that many voters are not convinced the benefits outweigh the costs. Most registered voters opposed building a data centre in their area in a July Fox News poll. Concerns include higher electricity bills, pressure on water supplies, air and noise pollution, and the loss of a community's existing character.
James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, Austin, said the White House position appeared 'tone deaf at best' and potentially damaging to other Republican candidates, per reports.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has already reportedly warned Republicans about the issue in Ohio, where Sen. Jon Husted is facing Democrat Sherrod Brown. Brown's campaign has described Husted as the 'face of data centers in Ohio', while people are gathering signatures for a statewide referendum to ban new construction.
The NRSC called data centres a 'sleeper issue for the entire election cycle' and said, 'Brown is using it because it works.'
Candidates Try to Distance Themselves
The issue is also causing problems for Republicans elsewhere.
In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford quickly linked Trump's comments to Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, accusing them of being in 'lockstep on data centers'. Ford has proposed ending new state tax breaks for data centres and ensuring they cover their electricity needs without depleting the state's water supply.
According to reports, in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has also changed his approach. After previously celebrating Google's $40 billion (£29.3 billion) investment and calling Texas the 'epicenter of AI development', Abbott has promised tougher action, including reviewing projects' energy use and removing the state's sales tax exemption.
Trump criticised the change, saying, 'I think it's a mistake.' Abbott's office said the governor's priority was protecting Texans' safety and quality of life while maintaining the state's power grid and water supply. 'Simply put, Texans must come first,' his office said.
Wisconsin shows how complicated the issue has become even among Trump's allies. Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany is attacking Democratic opponent David Crowley over his support for data centres, despite Tiffany himself previously calling the technology 'exciting new technology' and voting for legislation designed to speed up AI infrastructure projects.
Both candidates now support stricter regulation, while Tiffany wants to repeal the state's tax incentive for data centres. For Trump, data centres are part of the push to win the AI race. For candidates facing voters, however, the projects have become an increasingly difficult political issue.
