Republican Defies Trump Push for More Data Centers

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) said Monday he must be 'backwards and poor' after Trump used that phrase to describe communities resisting AI data centers.

• Trump posted on Truth Social that opposing data centers means choosing poverty over jobs.
• 71 percent of respondents in a March Gallup survey opposed a local AI data center.
• 53 percent of self-identified MAGA Republicans also rejected data centers in their communities.
• Burchett said data centers should be placed on military installations, not in communities.

Why it matters: Community opposition centers on water use, strain on electrical grids, higher energy bills, and environmental impact.

• A Reuters/Ipsos survey found nearly 80 percent of Americans worry data centers will raise electricity costs.
• The National Republican Senatorial Committee warned the issue is 'the anchor hanging around' Sen. Jon Husted's neck in Ohio.

How 30 sources split on this story

Where they split: The core dispute is whether the data center boom represents genuine economic development or a government-backed arrangement that favors politically connected corporations over ordinary communities.

What’s next: Former Sen. Sherrod Brown is already running ads branding Husted 'the face of data centers in Ohio.'

• The Trump administration is separately planning to repurpose federal land for AI data center infrastructure.
• Will other House Republicans follow Burchett in publicly opposing Trump's data center push?
• How will the issue affect Republican incumbents in states where data center construction is most active?