Trump says communities that oppose data centers are ‘making a mistake’
President Trump defended the expansion of data centers in an interview with his former fixer, Michael Cohen, that aired in full on Sunday.
Why it matters: Trump’s support comes as data centers face growing backlash in both red and blue states.
What he’s saying: Trump told Cohen during their interview that the U.S. was leading China in AI “by a lot” and that data centers were not taking power from the grid.
- “They’re making their own power plants. They’re building the most beautiful, you’ve never seen power plants like this,” Trump said during the interview that was recorded last week.
- “Communities that don’t take a data center, they’re making a mistake” because data centers create “tremendous amounts of jobs and money,” Trump added.
Reality check: Some data centers are developing behind-the-meter power plants that directly supply their facilities, but others will draw electricity from the grid.
The big picture: Trump’s comments come as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said data center companies “dug their own grave” and deserve the backlash they’re facing after failing to win community support.
- Abbott has directed state regulators to make data centers pay the full cost of the electrical infrastructure they require, while Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) imposed restrictions and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) ordered a one-year moratorium on hyperscaler data centers.