Trump, Vance Call for More Data Center Construction Even as GOP Midterm Candidates Call for Vast New Restrictions

President Trump and Vice President JD Vance say the U.S. must not let the building of data centers slow down amid an AI arms race with China. Mr. Trump says that any community in the U.S. that does not want to see a new data center built is simply asking to be “backwards and poor.”Data centers have quickly become one of the most salient issues of the 2026 midterms, with candidates for the U.S. Senate all the way down to local state legislative and city council races calling for harsh new restrictions on the construction of data centers. As voters have turned against the construction of such buildings, even Republicans have been quick to call for a pause on construction. Messrs. Trump and Vance, however, believe that the U.S. should not slow down. “The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor. If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday morning. “The good news is that there are plenty of other places that want them.” “If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame. China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement. Actually, they can’t believe it is happening!” he added. Mr. Vance offered similar — if more tepid — support for the construction of data centers in the United States. He says so long as AI companies are not jacking up people’s electricity bills, then the issue should not be “controversial.”{“What the president said about data centers is, they’re an important part of the AI economy, but when people build them, they have to build the power plants along with the data centers. I think probably 99 percent of the backlash to data centers has come where building a data center means higher utility and electricity [costs] for people on the ground,” Mr. Vance said, urging companies to “take advantage” of the administration’s deregulatory efforts. “If you build a data center, you should be putting power back into the grid, not taking it out, and if that is happening, I don’t think that data centers are that controversial,” the vice president told reporters on Monday. The president and vice president seem largely out-of-step with their fellow Republicans, however. Many GOP lawmakers and gubernatorial candidates have started rolling out new plans to restrict the construction of data centers, or to establish a moratorium on construction entirely. Even some of the most right-wing candidates are embracing such moves. Congressman Tom Tiffany, a Freedom Caucus lawmaker and the GOP nominee for Wisconsin governor, has already begun attacking his Democratic opponent for not having a more comprehensive plan on data center construction, including protection of the state’s lands and ensuring that utility bills remain low. When one travels to Mr. Tiffany’s campaign website, there is a special drop-down tab titled “data centers” under his “solutions” page.“Meet data center David Crowley,” a recent ad from Mr. Tiffany’s campaign states, referencing the Democratic nominee for governor. “There’s an opportunity for us to really become … an AI and a data hub … not only for the entire country, but for the entire globe,” Mr. Crowley says in the clip cut by Mr. Tiffany. “Data center David Crowley — Big Tech wins, Wisconsin pays,” the ad concludes. Mr. Tiffany is calling for the swift elimination of all tax incentives for AI companies to build data centers in the state. The Republican nominee for this year’s U.S. Senate race in Michigan, Mike Rogers, has gone even further, calling for a temporary, one-year moratorium on the building of data centers in his state. If elected to the Senate, Mr. Rogers would have no say over such a proposal, as it would be up to the state legislature and the governor to decide. “While I don’t support a federal ban, Michigan needs stronger guardrails to protect community control, prevent utility price hikes, protect our water and stop pay-to-play schemes,” Mr. Rogers told the Detroit News earlier this month. “That is why I am calling for a one-year moratorium on new data centers until we establish a fair, transparent approval process that puts local communities first.”The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, recently changed his position on data centers after his Democratic opponent in this year’s gubernatorial race, state representative Gina Hinojosa, began slamming him for tax incentives that Republicans in Texas had given to big tech companies. Last year, Mr. Abbott called Texas the “epicenter” of the AI arms race, and that his state would be critical to building out data center infrastructure. Now, he has hit pause on connecting new data centers to the state grid as the government performs audits of how the new facilities will impact ratepayers’ wallets. “Our top priority is to protect Texans’ safety and quality of life,” Mr. Abbott said in a statement earlier this month. In an interview with Fox News on Friday, the Texas governor said that his decision had nothing to do with his re-election campaign. He said he came to the conclusion after speaking with his constituents. “I haven’t done it because of anything said by China, I’ve done it by listening to and working with constituents and seeing real problems they’re facing in their communities,” Mr. Abbott said.

Trump, Vance Call for More Data Center Construction Even as GOP Midterm Candidates Call for Vast New Restrictions

Trump, Vance Call for More Data Center Construction Even as GOP Midterm Candidates Call for Vast New Restrictions

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