President Donald Trump has dismissed growing backlash against data centres, telling critics on social media that communities opposing them risk becoming "backwards and poor" and warning against killing the "Golden Goose" of AI investment. The remarks, made after Fox News aired residents' complaints about noise and pollution from facilities in Virginia, alarmed Republican strategists who fear the issue could hurt the party in the midterms, with one describing the president as being stuck in a "bubble" and out of step with voter concerns over energy costs and job losses.

Trump's team had reportedly war-gamed the issue at a private strategy dinner in July, urging candidates to argue that data centres should cover their own power and water costs, but his public comments ignored that messaging. Data centres consumed around 4.4% of US electricity in 2023, a figure projected to reach up to 12% by 2028, with a typical facility using as much power as 100,000 homes. Republican figures including Congressman Tim Burchett and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have already pushed back or moved to curb tax incentives, while Democrats in Ohio and Michigan are seeking to tie Republican opponents to unpopular data centre expansion ahead of the midterms.