A growing public backlash has emerged against artificial intelligence data centers, with polls from NBC News and Gallup showing that approximately 70% of Americans oppose their local construction. Despite this widespread opposition and warnings from political strategists that the issue threatens Republican prospects in the November 2026 midterm elections, President Donald Trump continues to aggressively promote data center expansion, claiming they generate massive revenue and build their own power sources.
Public opposition to data centers
- ▪The NBC News poll found that 39% of respondents have heard "a lot" about U.S. data center construction, while 34% have heard "some."
- ▪An NBC News poll found that 69% of respondents somewhat or strongly oppose the construction of an artificial intelligence data center in their local area.
- ▪The NBC News poll found that 57% of Republicans, 81% of Democrats, and 71% of independents oppose local artificial intelligence data center construction.
- ▪Recent polling shows that approximately 7 in 10 Americans oppose having artificial intelligence data center facilities built near them.
- ▪A Gallup poll reported that more than 70% of Americans do not want data centers built in their local area.
Trump's pro-data-center advocacy
- ▪U.S. President Donald Trump continues to advocate for artificial intelligence data centers and has criticized local communities and lawmakers who oppose their construction.
- ▪In July 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to loosen Environmental Protection Agency rules to facilitate the construction of data centers.
- ▪U.S. President Donald Trump has argued that rapid development of artificial intelligence technology is essential for the United States to "beat China."
- ▪In August 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump accused communities that oppose data centers of wanting to be "backwards and poor."
Republican electoral risks
- ▪The National Republican Senatorial Committee warned artificial intelligence companies that public backlash over data centers could hurt Republicans' chances of retaining a Senate seat in Ohio.
- ▪In Ohio, the opponent of Republican Senator Jon Husted has labeled Husted the "face of data centers in Ohio" due to his previous support for them as lieutenant governor.
- ▪Political strategists warned Trump administration officials that the president's support for data centers threatens to deepen Republican peril in the November 2026 midterm elections.
- ▪Democratic candidates are tying rapid artificial intelligence infrastructure growth to voter concerns about the cost of living to outflank Republican opponents in elections.
Data center energy claims
- ▪On September 4, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that new data centers do not consume grid energy because they build their own power plants to generate electricity.
- ▪U.S. President Donald Trump has maintained that data center projects, rather than taxpayers, should bear the additional electricity costs associated with their construction.
Data center economic claims
- ▪On September 4, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that communities rejecting data centers would face "poverty, crime and squalor" while those accepting them would benefit from the money they generate.
- ▪Technology companies are investing trillions of dollars into new data centers to serve as the backbone of the artificial intelligence boom.
AI public sentiment
- ▪An NBC News poll found that 70% of respondents are more worried about artificial intelligence than they are excited about it.
- ▪The NBC News poll found that 52% of respondents use artificial intelligence tools very often or sometimes, representing a six-point increase from a June 2025 survey.
Debatable claims
- ▪Local communities should have the power to block AI data center construction
- ▪Rapid AI development is essential for the US to compete with China
- ▪AI data center developers should pay for all associated electricity infrastructure costs
- ▪The US should loosen environmental rules to accelerate AI data center construction
Story comments
Loading comments…