Trump’s embrace of AI data centers adds to GOP’s midterm peril

Construction is underway during a tour of the OpenAI data center in Abilene, Texas, in September last year | POOL / VIA REUTERS

BLOOMBERG

Sep 6, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump’s fervent support for artificial intelligence data centers has put him at odds with voters who increasingly oppose them and comes despite direct warnings that his stance threatens to deepen Republicans’ peril in the November midterm elections. 

Over the past few months, political strategists have warned administration officials they were in danger of losing the public opinion war over data centers, people familiar with the matter said. Recent polling has shown around 7 in 10 Americans don’t want the facilities built near them, and Democratic candidates have sought to outflank their GOP opponents by tying rapid growth in AI infrastructure to voter concerns about the cost of living.

Trump has frequently boasted of American AI prowess and asserted that speedy development of the technology is essential to “beat China.” Yet administration officials were advised that the president needed to focus more on AI’s benefits, including for voters whose jobs might be at risk, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. 

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