Sen. Bernie Sanders whacked Trump on social media for his ridiculous statement that everyone should be willing to have one of these massive data centers in their backyard.
The issue of data centers is one that's been crossing partisan lines for some time now, but apparently Trump hasn't gotten the memo yet on stories like this one: Republicans Are Learning the Hard Way That Many Americans Don’t Want Data Centers:
A surge in public opposition to artificial intelligence infrastructure is transforming localized land-use disputes into major national political liabilities.
The rapid nationwide expansion of artificial intelligence facilities has encountered an unexpected wave of voter resistance across traditional party lines. Once promoted as clean economic drivers, modern hyperscale data centers face mounting criticism over rising residential utility bills, severe water usage, and industrial noise pollution.
A leaked internal memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), titled "Ohio Data Center Risk," warns that voter hostility toward tech infrastructure is actively threatening key political races. The committee cautioned top technology executives that public pushback against data centers has become a central campaign issue in states hosting dense infrastructure development.
As they reported, it's affecting the Ohio Senate race, and local backlash across the country, but that didn't stop idiot Trump from saying that everyone should want one of these monstrosities in their backyards earlier this week, which was met by this challenge from Senator Sanders:
Trump thinks that every community in America should welcome a data center.
Great idea.
Lead by example. Have your friend Elon build one at Mar-a-Lago. https://t.co/vxUrMIAFha— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 21, 2026
Here's more from Raw Story on Trump's blind spot on this issue:
In Congress, Sanders has led the charge for deeper conversations about the impact of AI and demanded that any buildout of the technology, including data center construction, be done with the health of workers, communities, and society overall front and center.
A poll released Thursday showed that 75% of Americans oppose large data centers being built in their community, with 61% of those saying they are “strongly” opposed.
In July, Trump said local elected officials have to convince their constituents that data centers are good for them and that opposition is futile. “You can’t fight it,” Trump said. “You have to go with it.”
Asked earlier this week what he thinks about the growing opposition, Trump suggested people didn’t know what was good for them, saying, “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, I would absolutely want it.” Trump said the industry needed better public relations, but said nothing about the need for stronger regulations or better ways for the corporations behind these centers to actually mitigate the legitimate concerns people have.
