MAGA group members, including Molly McCann Sanders, express alarm over data centers' potential to pollute and disrupt communities. Sanders, president of the Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund, says she is suspicious of data centers and wants to move slowly.
'I'm not a data center expert. I'm not a tech expert. But I’m suspicious and wary, and want to move slowly,' she told me.
The opposition to data centers is growing, with more than 60 percent of Americans, including 47 percent of Republicans, saying they are opposed to the construction of data centers, according to a recent New York Times poll.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee warned AI companies about the negative perception of data centers, stating that 'campaign or party committees can not fix the toxic brand of an entire segment of the economy.'
Despite this, Trump has doubled down on his support for data centers and AI, claiming that only communities that want to be 'backwards and poor' would refuse them. His rhetoric has drawn criticism, with Sanders noting that 'that is not the right way to go about this.'
Trump's pro-data-center stance has created a rift within the GOP, with some strategists like Tony Fabrizio arguing that 'unqualified support for building more AI data centers is a losing position.' The White House and tech allies like David Sacks and Joe Lonsdale have echoed the China competition angle, emphasizing the need for U.S. leadership in AI development.
Voters remain divided on the issue, with the New York Times poll showing that AI and data centers rank far down the list of priorities. Many voters say they don't know which party would handle the issue better. Candidates like Tom Tiffany, who has endorsed Trump, have also attacked his Democratic opponent for pro-data-center views.
Despite these tensions, Trump believes MAGA will ultimately support him on key issues like AI. 'He thinks MAGA at the end of the day will back him—on Epstein, on Iran, on AI,' said Hugo Lowell.
Source: wired
