President Donald Trump defended the expansion of artificial intelligence data centers, arguing that projects built in appropriate locations can generate jobs and tax revenue while easing pressure on electric grids by producing their own power.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said communities should welcome artificial intelligence data centers when projects are appropriately located and capable of generating their own electricity, arguing that the facilities can create jobs, increase local revenue and ultimately help reduce taxes and energy costs.
Trump addressed the issue Friday while taking questions from reporters at Joint Base Andrews, where he was asked why several Republican candidates running in the midterm elections have taken positions against data center development.
The president said his approach hinges on location and energy infrastructure rather than blanket support for placing facilities anywhere.
“The data center subject to me is a pretty simple one. If you pick the right location — and it’s got to be — not every location’s perfect for it,” Trump said. “But if you pick the right location, what it means for a community is jobs and lots of money and lower taxes. And the data centers now are mandated by me that they build their own electricity, so they’re not taking it from the grid.”
Rapid expansion of artificial intelligence has generated growing demand for data centers capable of providing the enormous computing power required to train and operate advanced AI systems.
The facilities can also consume large quantities of electricity, making their effect on local power supplies and utility costs a significant political issue in communities considering new projects.
Trump said requiring developers to construct their own power-generation capacity could turn that concern into an economic benefit.
“They’re going to build their own electric producing facility. And, that electricity that they have left over is going to the grid, it’s going to lower the cost of electricity,” Trump said.
The president said that if he were making the decision for a municipality, he would favor bringing in a data center because of the potential economic benefits.
He said such projects mean “jobs,” “income” and “lower taxes.”
Trump’s remarks on the issue were also highlighted in social media coverage.
The president stopped short of calling on Republican candidates to adopt his position.
Asked whether he wanted GOP candidates to follow his lead on data centers, Trump said he wanted Republicans “to do what they want.”
He nevertheless reiterated that he personally would support a qualifying project if he were responsible for governing a city or state.
Trump said that if he were a mayor or governor, he would favor data centers because “they bring tremendous income” and “they’re clean.”
His comments echoed remarks he made at the White House on Wednesday.
Trump said that if he “were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state” and had an opportunity “to get a big plant in, an AI plant or a data center,” he would want the project, according to Fox Business.
The administration’s support comes as the rapid proliferation of data centers encounters substantial public resistance.
A Gallup survey conducted from March 2 through March 18, 2026, found that 71% of Americans opposed construction of AI data centers in their communities to some degree.
Forty-eight percent said they strongly opposed having such facilities built nearby, while another 23% somewhat opposed them.
Support was considerably lower.
Twenty percent of respondents said they somewhat favored AI data center construction in their communities, while 7% strongly favored it.
The opposition has emerged as AI infrastructure becomes an increasingly visible local issue, particularly because large data centers can require substantial amounts of electricity and other resources.
Trump’s proposed approach attempts to address the electricity concern by requiring data center operators to provide their own power-generation capacity rather than relying entirely on existing electric grids.
Under the model described by Trump, developers could send excess electricity from those facilities back into the grid, which he argued would increase power supplies and contribute to lower electricity costs.
His support also rests on the potential economic impact of large-scale projects, including construction activity, permanent employment and additional revenue flowing into surrounding communities.
Trump has repeatedly emphasized, however, that location matters.
His comments Friday acknowledged that “not every location’s perfect” for a data center, distinguishing his position from an unconditional endorsement of projects regardless of where they are proposed.
With AI development driving demand for additional computing infrastructure across the country, data centers are increasingly becoming both an economic-development opportunity and a political issue for governors, mayors and candidates weighing concerns over electricity consumption against potential jobs, investment and tax revenue.
Original article
Comments