Trump says it’s ‘OK with me’ if Republicans disagree with him on data centers
President Donald Trump on Friday said it’s no issue if Republican lawmakers and candidates disagree with him on regulating data centers, something his preferred candidates and allies have taken an opposing stance on.
Speaking with reporters outside Air Force One before heading to South Carolina, the president was asked if he would prefer GOP candidates mirror his stance on the controversial data center campuses popping up across the United States.
“If a Republican’s against the data center, that’s OK with me,” Trump said. “I’m only saying that if I ran a community, now there are different types of communities, but generally speaking, if I ran a community, if I was a mayor or if I was a governor in the state, I would want to have the data centers because they bring tremendous income.”
Trump noted that data centers have the potential to significantly benefit communities, but emphasized that location is key.
“If you pick the right location — and it’s going to be not every location is perfect for it — but if you pick the right location, what it means for a community is jobs and lots of money and lower taxes,” he said.
The president also touted his ratepayer protection pledge, which includes the promise that major technology companies would build, bring, or procure energy needed to power their data centers while covering the full cost of any infrastructure upgrades. Several major technology companies have signed on to the pledge.
Trump’s comments come as several GOP congressional candidates whom he endorsed have called for moratoriums or increased scrutiny around data centers that have become wildly unpopular among voters in the 2026 elections.
Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers on Thursday supported a pause on data center construction until lawmakers “make sure that we’re answering all the questions that people have.”
Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) has also engaged in anti-data center rhetoric as farmers in the state raise concerns about technology companies buying up farmland to build the massive campuses.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) ordered an audit of hundreds of AI data center construction projects earlier in the summer, which could delay their construction several more months.
REPUBLICANS START TO TURN ON DATA CENTERS AS MIDTERM ELECTIONS APPROACH
The Republicans’ shift in opinion on data centers reflects the public’s unfavorable opinion. A Gallup poll conducted in early March found that 7 out of 10 oppose constructing AI data centers in their area, with 48% strongly opposed. The centers’ effect on the environment and intrusion on residential properties are particular areas of concern.
Still, Trump reaffirmed his stance on data centers, saying, “I would want to have data centers.”
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