President Donald Trump has strongly criticized local communities that oppose the construction of AI data centers, framing their resistance as a choice to remain "backwards and poor." In a Truth Social post, he urged communities to embrace data centers to foster economic success, lower taxes, and job creation, warning that rejecting these projects would only aid China, which benefits from U.S. opposition to the technology. His comments come as Republicans face voter backlash over these centers ahead of the November midterm elections.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has expressed growing concern that negative perceptions of data centers are jeopardizing key races, particularly in Ohio. Polling reveals Senator Jon Husted is in a "dead heat" with Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown, largely because Brown has centered his campaign on opposing data centers. The NRSC cautioned that if the issue is not addressed quickly, the backlash could expand beyond Ohio, potentially undermining Republican electoral prospects nationwide.

Public opposition to AI data centers is significant, with a Gallup poll from March indicating that 70% of Americans oppose building data centers in their local area. Concerns focus on electricity consumption, power demands, water use, and other environmental and economic impacts. Wolfe Research highlighted the rapid scale of this resistance, noting a dramatic decline in bipartisan support for local data center projects over the past year, which alarm investors and political strategists alike.

The midterms are pivotal, determining control of both the House and Senate, where Republicans hold narrow leads. AI data centers support major companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, driving the technology behind artificial intelligence models. The current political and public resistance threatens ongoing expansion, putting pressure on Republican candidates like Husted to defend these projects or face consequences at the polls. With the anti-data center movement gaining traction, the political fallout could influence policy and investment in the sector for years to come.