AOC Proposes Data Center at Mar-a-Lago in Response to Trump’s Support

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — President Trump has voiced strong support for data centers, despite growing bipartisan opposition to these projects.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offered a witty retort on Monday when questioned about Trump’s recent remarks suggesting that those against data centers wish to remain “backwards and poor.”

Why not place one at Mar-a-Lago? she proposed to MeidasTouch. I adore that idea. Let’s establish a data center at Mar-a-Lago and observe his reaction to being ‘backwards and poor’ as a result.

Earlier in the day, Trump utilized Truth Social to address the mounting resistance to data centers prior to the midterm elections.

The sole justification for communities across the U.S.A. to reject Data Centers is if they aspire to be backwards and impoverished, Trump stated. For success, wealth, reduced taxes, and widespread employment, let Data Reign.

He further remarked, The positive aspect is that numerous other locations desire them. Should we eliminate the Golden Goose, you will have only yourselves to blame. China could not be more delighted with this anti Data Center campaign. In fact, they are astonished it is occurring!

AOC is not the sole dissenter in Washington regarding the president’s viewpoint.

I suppose I am backwards and poor, Republican Representative Tim Burchett, usually a staunch Trump ally, conveyed to MeidasTouch. They have inadequately informed the public about these matters.

Data centers have been a longstanding element of the American landscape, yet they have gained novel political significance with the emergence of artificial intelligence and the so-called ‘hyperscale’ data centers necessary to power services like ChatGPT and Claude.

Although the Trump 2024 campaign has garnered support from many in Silicon Valley and the AI sector, voters exhibit greater ambivalence towards data centers than the administration.

A late August Economist/YouGov poll revealed that most Americans are against constructing new data centers in their communities, with only 24 percent of respondents considering new data centers very or somewhat beneficial for the nation.

The White House has advocated for expedited permitting and reduced environmental regulations that would impede the expansion of data centers, asserting that AI infrastructure is a crucial source of jobs and U.S. competitiveness in the technological race against China.

Davis Ingle, a White House spokesperson, declared to The Independent, President Trump’s audacious leadership is transforming data centers into engines of growth and opportunity for communities nationwide that desire them, all while solidifying America’s supremacy over China in the global AI contest. By mandating data centers to cover their own power, water, and utility expenses, the President has guaranteed that the American populace will never bear the cost for private companies’ profits. President Trump will persist in harnessing the data center surge to provide tangible advantages for working families and small enterprises.

Nevertheless, data centers have become increasingly politically contentious in various states and jurisdictions across the country. This summer, even the traditionally red and pro-business Texas issued an executive order suspending data center construction.

The resistance to data centers arises amidst broader apprehensions regarding the influence of AI on employment, culture, and the environment, issues that are likely to shape the November vote.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)