Neither party has made data-center expansion a midterm campaign message
President Donald Trump told cryptocurrency industry leaders gathered at the White House this week that he would welcome data-center construction in his own community, citing the economic benefits such projects bring.
“If I were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state, and I had a chance to get a big plant in, an AI plant or a data center,” Trump said, “I would absolutely want it because the jobs are enormous and the money paid, the taxes paid, are just enormous.”
The remarks put the White House at odds with the politics playing out in competitive midterm races. An Associated Press review found that Republican and Democratic candidates alike are not making data-center expansion a campaign message.
The Senate Republicans’ campaign arm has flagged the issue as a potential factor in close races, warning that voter anger over data centers could cost the party a seat. The campaign organization’s caution reflects the resistance the buildout has encountered in communities where the projects are sited or proposed. The AP reported that voters have objected to living near the warehouse-scale campuses that host the facilities, which the wire service described as large enough that some “dwarf football stadiums” and “use more energy than small cities.”