Donald Trump is taking aim at communities standing in the way of the AI boom, warning that towns turning down new data centres are making a foolish mistake.
Speaking in a candid interview with his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, highlighted by Forbes, the president went out of his way to champion the boom in AI data centres, clashing directly with the public sentiment of most American voters.
'Frankly, communities that don't take a data center are making a mistake,' Trump hectored. He insisted that 'plenty of communities' actively want the projects, labelling the towns that agree to build them the 'smart ones'.
Trump Defends AI Data Centre Expansion
Trump further claimed that the US remains 'leading China in AI by a lot' throughout the exchange. He explained that he was allowing tech firms to 'build their own power plants', insisting these facilities would not draw 'power from the grid', which he dismissed as outdated and 'tired'.
Asserting that these facilities will generate new jobs and 'tremendous tax revenue coming into the towns and cities', he insisted that the 'smart ones' are calling for construction in their local areas.
During a White House meeting with crypto industry leaders last week, the president noted that he would 'absolutely want' a data centre in his community if he were in office, whether as a mayor or governor.
Republican Backlash Grows Over Data Centres
The president aired his support for data centres soon after Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, stated on ABC News on Sunday morning that AI companies 'basically dug their own grave for the problem that's been caused for them, and that's why they got the backlash they deserve'.
Abbott slammed the industry for operating without input from state or municipal leadership, representing the strongest resistance to data centre expansion from a prominent Republican official yet and echoing concerns raised by several Democratic governors.
Data Centres Threaten to Become an Election Issue
The president's push for data centres coincides with mounting fears within the GOP that widespread public anger over the facilities could damage its chances in the midterm elections.
According to a leaked internal memo sent last week by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Democrat Sherrod Brown has successfully made his opposition to data centres the 'centerpiece' of his bid to unseat Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio.
The memo delivered a stark warning: 'More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted's neck. If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice.'
Despite facing heavy resistance from both sides of the political aisle over data centre development, Trump has consistently backed the AI sector's push to build new facilities in recent months.
With two years left in his presidency, Trump faces no immediate personal threat, but his Republican Party is bracing for a difficult midterm fight this November.
Anxious party strategists in Ohio even fired off a memo last week pleading with the tech sector to fix its image problem over data centres, fearing Democrats could turn public anger into major electoral wins. Whether the president's vocal support for data centres will backfire on Republicans in November remains an open question.
