Abstract:
U.S. President Trump’s strong support for artificial intelligence data centers puts him on the opposite side of a growing number of voters who oppose the construction of data centers. His stance comes amid direct warnings that it may exacerbate the difficulties faced by the Republican Party in the November midterm elections.
Political strategists have been warning government officials over the past few months that they could lose the battle over data centers, people familiar with the matter said. Recent polls show that about 70% of Americans do not want such facilities to be built near where they live, and Democratic candidates are trying to seize the opportunity of their Republican opponents and link the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure with voters' concerns about the cost of living.
Trump often boasts of America’s strength in the field of AI. However, Trump administration officials have been advised that the president needs to put more emphasis on the benefits of AI, including to constituents whose jobs are at risk, according to people familiar with the matter.
Rather than adjust his approach, Trump intensified it. He claimed on social media this week that the only reason communities oppose data centers is that they want to be "left behind and poor" and called on the public to "let data rule everything." On Friday, Trump expanded on that argument, describing it as a choice facing local communities.
"If you want to pay less in taxes, if you want to create tremendous wealth, if you want your house to be worth more, and everything else, then you want a data center," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "If you want to experience poverty, crime and squalor, I would say, don't approve data centers."
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick attributed the opposition to "propaganda by our adversaries" and said the benefits data centers bring to communities are "clear." David Sacks, Trump's former AI chief, claimed the backlash stemmed from "disinformation" and said "no one is trying to force anyone to accept these data centers."
The situation illustrates the awkward dilemma that big supporters of artificial intelligence, including Trump, are facing: They tout AI as vital to U.S. economic growth, but the technology relies on the massive construction of data centers that have become deeply unpopular in cities and towns facing rising electricity bills, strained power grids and massive new infrastructure.
“This is a very new issue and the political dynamics around it are still forming,” said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist. "Many politicians will reflect on the information conveyed by the poll numbers. Obviously, these AI companies should better explain the benefits of data centers."
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