The president said opposition to new infrastructure threatens jobs and gives China an advantage in artificial intelligence.
President Donald Trump warned Monday that public opposition to data centers in the US could threaten local economies and weaken the country’s position in the artificial-intelligence race.
“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,” Trump said in a social-media post. He said communities that support the facilities could see lower taxes and more jobs.
Trump’s comments came as data-center opposition has become an issue in campaigns for the November midterm elections, with Democrats emphasizing affordability concerns.
With Chinese President Xi Jinping expected at the White House next month, Trump also framed data-center construction as a way to counter China’s technological influence. “China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement,” he wrote.
