President Trump stated, 'Regions that reject data centers will become backward and poor,' and 'China is very pleased with the anti-data center movement.'

by Gage Skidmore

The number of data centers needed for AI development and the operation of related services is rapidly increasing, but this has also led to a surge in opposition to data center construction. President Donald Trump, who wants to push for data center construction, has criticized those who oppose it.

Trump: Communities that reject data centers will end up 'backwards and poor' - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/31/trump-data-centers-midterms

Trump says communities that reject data centers 'want to end up being backwards and poor' — President claims China 'could not be happier' with AI data center backlash in the US | Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/trump-says-communities-that-reject-data-centers-want-to-end-up-being-backwards-and-poor-president-claims-china-could-not-be-happier-with-ai-data-center-backlash-in-the-us

President Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social that 'the only reason the American community doesn't want data centers is because they want to stay backward and poor,' claiming that data centers would make Americans richer.

In fact, a study by Georgia Institute of Technology found that the construction of data centers increases local employment by 3.5%, total wages by 5%, the number of businesses by 4.7%, and median household income by 1.9%, suggesting that the idea of becoming wealthy through data centers may not be entirely wrong. However, the study also pointed out that 'these benefits are mainly seen in metropolitan areas, with very little benefit in rural areas,' and confirmed that there is a trade-off in that the introduction of data centers leads to an average increase of 5% in local electricity prices.

Because data centers consume large amounts of water and electricity, there are concerns that local residents' utility bills will rise, and there have been actual noise problems in areas where data centers have been built. As a result, there is opposition to the construction of data centers in the United States. One survey even found that 70% of Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their area.

70% of Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers in their communities - GIGAZINE

President Trump also pointed out that 'China is thrilled with the anti-data center movement,' demonstrating remarks that fuel anti-China sentiment among Americans.

President Trump has been pushing for the construction of data centers by signing executive orders to expedite the necessary procedures, but some states are halting construction, making it an urgent task to gain the understanding of local residents.

New York State Legislature passes bill to halt construction of new large-scale data centers for one year; if signed by the governor, it will be the first such measure in the entire state - GIGAZINE