As Trump backs data centers, new poll shows many Americans disapprove
As Trump backs data centers, new poll demonstrates numerous Americans disapprove.
As Trump backs data centers, new poll demonstrates numerous Americans disapprove.
Article outline
- What happened
- The key numbers
- The details
- Reaction
- The bottom line
Key points
- Data centers are one of the most controversial problems of the 2026 election cycle, garnering widespread backlash among voters in both political parties.
- AI data centers have rankled voters in both parties, according to the NBC News Decision Desk poll.
- Trump on data centers, Kai Trump's trademark and more Trump news today.
- Republican and Democratic lawmakers at the local, state and federal level have proposed data center moratoriums that would suspend some construction of the structures.
- Trump again backed data centers in the Oval Office on Sept.
President Trump remarked you can't fight data centers. Kai Trump is being challenged on her trademark. More Trump news ahead of the Correspondents' Dinner.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly backed AI data centers two months ahead of the November midterm elections, but a new poll demonstrates that most Americans disagree with the infrastructure in their communities.
In practice, a NBC News Decision Desk survey discovered that 69% of poll respondents oppose the construction of AI data centers in their local area, including 45% who "strongly oppose" the concept. Data centers are one of the most controversial problems of the 2026 election cycle, garnering widespread backlash among voters in both political parties.
In an Aug. 31 Truth Social post, Trump remarked Americans should stop opposing new data centers unless they want to be "backwards and poor." Proponents of AI data centers, including Trump, warn that the United States must compete with China on AI. Trump keeps touting data centers as Republicans try to pivot.
"The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. Should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor. If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign, " Trump remarked.
Trump again backed data centers in the Oval Office on Sept. 4.
"If you want to pay lower taxes, if you want to create tremendous wealth, if you want your house to be more valuable and everything else, you're going to want a data center, " Trump remarked to journalists. "If you want to go through poverty, crime and squalor, I would say don't approve data centers."
Still, critics argue data centers consume sizeable amounts of water and energy, generate noise and electronic waste and provide relatively few long-term jobs or perks for homeowners.
AI data centers have rankled voters in both parties, according to the NBC News Decision Desk poll. Republicans are more supportive of data centers, but a majority – 57% to 43% – oppose them. The poll, conducted between Aug. 20 and Sept. 1, discovered that 81% of Democrats and 71% of independents do not want data centers constructed in their local areas. Contributing: Joey Garrison and Greta Cross, USA TODAY; Reuters. Share your feedback to support improve our site!
For now, as Trump backs data centers, new poll shows many Americans disapprove remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.
