President Trump publicly defended controversial new data center projects, urging communities to embrace them as economic drivers rather than resisting local opposition over zoning and utility strain.
On Monday, President Trump warned Americans against rejecting unpopular data centers, describing the power-intensive facilities as essential drivers of progress and prosperity.
Reiterating his position on the contentious issue, Trump argued that sprawling data centers generate increased tax revenue and reduce unemployment in host communities, benefits that outweigh potential costs.
“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign.”
He cautioned that states and localities that oppose data centers will cede economic advantages to jurisdictions actively approving major development deals.
“If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame,” he added.
Vice President JD Vance offered a more nuanced perspective, clarifying that Trump’s comments likely applied specifically to projects where developers construct dedicated power generation capacity to support the artificial intelligence boom.
“If you build a data center, you should be putting power back into the grid, not taking it out,” Vance said while traveling to a campaign event with Michigan Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, a vocal supporter of data centers. “If that is happening, I don’t think data centers are that controversial.”
Data centers have emerged as a polarizing midterm election issue, with majority opposition across both parties. Technology firms maintain that these facilities are critical to securing America’s place in an AI-dominated future.
This rare cross-party voter consensus has prompted lawmakers and candidates to rapidly adjust or solidify their stances.
Last month, Gov. Hochul issued an executive order pausing new data center construction for a year, a move Trump criticized.
Popular Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pennsylvania) and Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) have both recently reversed their previous strong support for new data centers, implementing new regulations as opposition grows and Election Day nears.