Republicans split with Trump on data centers ahead of midterm races

With a slew of polls showing that most Americans oppose the construction in their communities of new data centers to power AI, a growing number of Republicans running in this year’s elections are putting daylight between themselves and President Donald Trump.

Trump, a strong proponent of data center development, took to social media Monday to argue that if communities “want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign.”

But with GOP strategists warning that data centers have become politically radioactive, some Republicans on the midterm ballot are reversing course, which is a stark shift in a party that previously had fully embraced the burgeoning AI industry.

Seventy percent of voters questioned in a recent Fox News poll said they wanted to hit the brakes on building data centers in their area to support artificial intelligence, with only 30% in favor. Only 40% of Republicans, and 46% of MAGA Republicans supported new data center construction.

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Fueling the opposition are concerns over rising electricity costs and energy and water consumption.

“I think we need to take a pause, probably, and make sure that we’re answering all the questions that people have on them,” former Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP Senate nominee in battleground Michigan, said two weeks ago when asked about data center construction.

Rogers, who previously welcomed data center expansion in Michigan, later outlined a one-year moratorium, arguing that “Michigan needs stronger guardrails to protect community control, prevent utility price hikes, protect our water, and stop pay-to-play schemes.”

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He’s far from alone.

In Ohio’s crucial Senate race between appointed GOP Sen. Jon Husted and his Democratic challenger, former longtime Sen. Sherrod Brown, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) warned that the issue could help the Democrats flip the seat. Brown and allied groups have shelled out millions of dollars to run ads calling Husted “the face of data centers in Ohio.”

“More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted’s neck,” the NRSC memo emphasized.

Husted has introduced a Senate bill to stop average Americans from paying for data center energy costs.

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The political pushback stretches well beyond Michigan and Ohio.

Texas Attorney General and U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton last month unveiled a four-point plan to curb rapid data center growth and address public concerns over resource strain.  

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican running for a fourth term steering the Lone Star State, halted new data center connections to the state’s power grid pending a comprehensive regulatory audit.

Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy pledged to issue a first-day-in-office executive order halting approval of all new data center projects until his proposed safeguards are enacted.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, the GOP nominee for governor in swing state Wisconsin, has highlighted that he opposes new data centers unless strict conditions are met. Tiffany has made data centers a centerpiece of his gubernatorial campaign, slamming his Democratic rival, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, as “Data Center David Crowley.”

Pennsylvania Treasurer and Republican gubernatorial nominee Stacy Garrity has called for a temporary pause on new and uncontracted major data center developments in her battleground state.

Other Republicans are stopping short of moratoriums. Rep. Byron Donalds, the GOP gubernatorial nominee who opposes bans or moratoriums and whose primary campaign received significant backing from the AI industry, introduced legislation this summer that would require large AI data centers to generate their own power and water rather than draw from public utilities.

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Trump is standing firm.

The president recently called Abbott’s decision to pump the brakes on data center development a “mistake.”

And Trump, on Monday said, “If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame.”

The president, who has made data centers a key ingredient in winning the AI race with China, argued: “China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement.”

But Trump, at least for now, seems to be giving Republicans some wiggle room.

“If a Republican’s against a data center, that’s OK with me,” Trump said.

Veteran Republican strategist Matt Gorman told Fox News Digital that “Trump is smartly taking the long view of this.”

Gorman said “Republicans on the ballot this year are being responsive to the very real concerns people have,” adding that “these companies and their champions have to do more to make the case.”

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The AI industry is responding to the political backlash.

Build American AI, an industry-aligned group powered by top AI leaders, this week launched a multi-million-dollar public engagement campaign to build support for “clear, strong, and commonsense policies governing the development of the data centers and energy infrastructure.”

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It highlighted that the “policies should protect residential ratepayers, safeguard the environment and water resources, require developers to pay their fair share, and preserve the right of every community to decide whether it wants to welcome data center investment.”

“We can protect ratepayers, safeguard our natural resources, respect the right of communities to decide whether they want to welcome this investment, and still build the infrastructure America needs to lead the world in artificial intelligence,” Build American AI added.