Data Centers Emerge as Midterms Flashpoint as Trump Declares ‘Let Data Reign’

A broad national revolt against data center development has surged to the top of voters' minds this year. And across the country, that's left candidates in tight midterm races scrambling.Thousands of data center projects proposed and underway around the nation have become a political flashpoint. These projects are being built in increasingly remote areas of the country, bringing worries about water and air quality, power bills, and property values. Many cities are pausing or halting construction.Public opinion on these projects has shifted. Separate polls released this summer by Fox News, Gallup, and the Washington Post all found about 70% oppose building data centers to support artificial intelligence near their homes. Voter sentiment on data centers has sharply dropped in just a few years.But President Donald Trump has expressed defiant support for data center development. "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 an Aug. 31 post on Truth Social. "If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign."The remarks left som...