MAGA Donors Warn Trump: Dismissing AI Fears and Cost Concerns Could Cost Midterms

Republican megadonors are increasingly worried that President Donald Trump’s habit of dismissing voter anxieties — most recently about artificial intelligence — could imperil GOP prospects in the upcoming midterm elections.

According to Politico, several major donors say Trump’s public characterization of apocalyptic AI predictions as a “hoax” has prompted some backers to question his political judgment and priorities.

Tech Leaders Sound Alarms

Leaders of prominent AI companies have urged a slowdown in the rapid rollout of generative AI technologies. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI could become difficult to control without stronger checks and guardrails. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and prominent donor Elon Musk publicly supported calls for greater caution, amplifying public concern.

Trump's position on AI is one more thing that's concerning GOP donors. / Truth Social/Donald Trump

Those worries cover a broad spectrum — from the local impacts of large AI data centers on communities to long-term, existential risks posed by unregulated AI development.

“While AI may not kill us all, it might kill vulnerable Republicans this year,” a donor told Politico on the condition of anonymity.

Trump’s Response

On Truth Social, the president posted two dismissive messages, calling AI alarmism a “hoax” and comparing it to what he described as previous media-driven scares. In one post he wrote that warnings about AI taking over the world were “even wilder than the RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA HOAX, or the Global Warming Scam.” He also blamed what he called the “Radical Left Dumocrats” for promoting the “AI hoax.”

“I am the Hoax Buster, and I'm right now breaking another Hoax — That AI is going to take over, consume, and destroy the World…”

Those comments drew criticism from donors who say the president should be more attentive to voters’ concerns.

Donald Trump dismisses concerns about AI. / Truth Social/Donald Trump

Donors Press for a Sharper Focus on Voters’ Everyday Worries

Some GOP financiers told Politico they want Trump to prioritize the cost of living and listen to constituents’ economic anxieties — from rising fuel and diesel prices to farmer worries about grain and cattle prices and cross-border trade issues in states such as Michigan. One donor warned that ignoring these concerns risks alienating voters and producing a cumulative effect that could swing undecided voters to Democrats.

“He needed to be more empathetic to the issues that were raised… because you ignore people's concerns at your political peril,” one GOP donor said.

Growing Pressure For Regulation

Pressure on the administration to consider stricter AI oversight has increased. Palantir CEO Alex Karp called for nationalizing AI as a way to exert control over the technology, adding another high-profile voice to calls for stronger regulation. In response to the debate, the president later announced plans for an “AI Force” and an “AI Czar” to oversee the sector, while continuing to dismiss doomsday scenarios as overblown.

Donors say the combination of perceived dismissiveness on AI and persistent economic concerns — including inflation and high gas prices since the administration's actions related to Iran — have left approval numbers under pressure and could create drag on Republican candidates in a midterm referendum.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Donors told Politico — which they noted is among outlets recently restricted from White House access — that they want the president to refocus on pocketbook issues and to acknowledge voter anxieties about AI in order to rebuild support among disillusioned constituents.

“People are worried about cost, farmers are worried about grain prices, cattle prices… And you're talking about dismissing people's fears about jobs and their economy. That is not the recipe for reassembling a winning coalition,” a party donor said.