Donald Trump has hit out at communities across the US that are resisting new datacenter developments, warning that opponents risk becoming "backwards and poor" and would have only themselves to blame if projects were cancelled. The remarks, posted on Truth Social, come amid a growing bipartisan backlash against datacentre expansion, particularly in states offering cheap land, low-cost power and generous tax breaks, with local residents citing environmental damage, rising utility bills and noise as concerns. The row is politically sensitive as it plays out against the backdrop of campaigning for November's midterm elections.

Polling cited in the article found that three-quarters of Americans oppose a datacentre being built near their home, with more than six in 10 strongly against it. Vice-president JD Vance defended datacentres as vital to the AI economy but acknowledged that most opposition stems from fears over higher electricity costs, urging companies to add power back to the grid rather than draining it. Campaign group Data Center Watch says at least 75 projects worth roughly $130bn were blocked or delayed in the first three months of 2026, with communities including Monterey Park in California, Prince William County in Virginia and Wake County in North Carolina among those successfully resisting developments, while more than 230 environmental organisations have separately called on Congress to halt new datacentre construction.