President Trump has publicly championed the rapid construction of large, energy-intensive AI data centers on Truth Social, provoking backlash from many of his own followers. Analysis found negative replies outnumbered supportive ones nearly 4-to-1, and a New York Times/Siena poll reports 61% of likely voters oppose building data centers, including about 45% of Trump 2024 supporters. Critics cite siting, water use, noise and energy-cost concerns, and analysts warn the issue could depress GOP turnout ahead of the midterms.
Truth Social Backlash: Trump Supporters Criticize His Push for Energy-Intensive AI Data Centers
Evelyn Hockstein / Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS
Donald Trump is facing mounting criticism from some of his own supporters on Truth Social after publicly endorsing the construction of large, energy-intensive AI data centers. The president has repeatedly praised the rapid build-out of these facilities amid the AI boom, even as growing numbers of voters express concern about their local impacts.
"The people that say AI is going to destroy the World, and that Data Centers are bad for your neighborhood, are the same people that said, just a short time ago, that the World would be extinguished by 'Climate Change,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "That HOAX never worked out for them, and now they're on to the next one."
Some Republican lawmakers have also broken with Trump to oppose mammoth AI data centers. / Brian Snyder / Brian Snyder/Reuters
Analysis by The New York Times found that among the hundreds of replies to the president's posts, negative comments outnumbered supportive ones by nearly 4-to-1. Many replies on Truth Social — a platform closely associated with Trump and his core base — criticized the administration's push for these data centers because of concerns about siting, heavy water consumption, continuous lights and noise, and the potential to raise local energy bills and depress property values.
One user wrote that data centers are "destroying quiet neighborhoods" and argued they should be placed "in the middle of nowhere" rather than forcing residents to relocate. Another questioned why such projects are not sited near luxury properties like golf courses or Mar-a-Lago, suggesting their presence would reduce property values.
Data centers could become a thorny issue for Trump in November’s crucial elections. / Screengrab/Truth Social
Some respondents warned that dismissing rural concerns could suppress turnout in upcoming elections. "Keep telling rural communities that there are no downsides to data centers and watch how many of your 2024 voters stay home during the midterms," one user wrote.
Trump's continued defense of data centers — and a Truth Social post that labeled critics "backward and poor" — attracted pushback from within his own party. When he framed data centers as evidence of U.S. leadership and urged, "Don't kill the Golden Goose!", followers accused him of ignoring the lived experience of communities near the facilities.
A New York Times/Siena poll released Tuesday found that 61 percent of likely voters oppose building data centers, including about 45 percent of those who said they support Trump in 2024. Political scientists warn the issue could complicate Republican prospects: "It really doesn't play well to his base because a lot of those folks are probably worried about A.I. taking their jobs," Raymond La Raja, a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told The Times.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Help us improve.
