Topline
President Donald Trump said “poverty, crime and squalor” will materialize in U.S. neighborhoods that do not approve data centers, his latest remark supporting the facilities in the U.S. even as many Americans oppose their construction.
Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.
Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
“If you want your house to be more valuable, you’re going to want a data center,” Trump said in an Oval Office appearance.
“If you want to go through poverty, crime and squalor, I would say don’t approve data centers,” he added, claiming states and towns can “get rich” and lower electricity bills if they support the construction of data centers.
There is evidence pointing to data centers lowering electricity bills in the short-term, though experts have noted the long-term, high-energy requirements of booming data center construction in the U.S. could continue increasing home electricity bills as electric companies look to offset the cost of creating new transmission lines and power plants.
Trump acknowledged people do not want to be in the “backyard” of data centers, but said, “the people that live in the area of data centers, they’ve been an unbelievable success.”
Americans have pushed back against data centers over their high need for electricity and water, and also voiced concerns about noise pollution, lowered air quality and increased utility bills.
Contra
Trump’s comments conflict with remarks made by Vice President JD Vance earlier this week in which he acknowledged data centers create higher utility and electricity bills for people living near them.
Big Number
A Gallup survey published in May found seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their neighborhoods, with just 7% strongly favoring them.
Key Background
Trump said earlier this week communities will be “backwards and poor” if they oppose data centers, adding if neighborhoods want to be successful, they need to “let data reign.” The Trump administration has backed booming data center construction in the U.S. by repurposing federal land for them and reducing red tape. Over $50 billion has been committed to constructing data centers in the U.S. alongside the artificial intelligence boom. Data centers are expected to make up 8.5% of peak summer power demand in the U.S. by 2027, more than double its levels in 2025), according to Goldman Sachs.
Further Reading
Trump Says Communities Will Be ‘Backwards And Poor’ If They Oppose Data Centers (Forbes)
Trump Berates Data Center Opposition Despite Threat To Republicans’ Reelection Chances (Forbes)
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