Trump Backs Data Centres, Warns Critics Risk Falling Behind

The generative AI boom has made data centres critical infrastructure in the US technology race with China. Oracle, Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft are expected to spend more than $700 billion on US facilities this year. But the expansion has triggered bipartisan resistance as communities confront higher electricity bills, heavy power demand and persistent noise, turning projects once promoted chiefly as engines of investment and jobs into an issue in the November midterm elections.

Donald Trump defended the buildout in an Aug. 31, 2026 post on Truth Social, saying communities that reject data centres risk becoming “backwards and poor” and warning voters against killing the industry’s “Golden Goose.” Candidates in at least 21 races across 18 states have aired television advertisements mentioning the facilities, with opposition spread across party lines. Trump said China “could not be happier” with the backlash as Beijing moves to nearly double its data-centre capacity over the next five years.